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mental health and the holidays

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It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like The Holiday Season: Coping with Stress Around the Holidays

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It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like The Holiday Season: Coping with Stress Around the Holidays

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or don’t celebrate any holiday at all, this time of year can be particularly not the jolliest time for some. In fact, the celebrations, the get-to-togethers, the gifts, or realizing that your family are not people you look forward to seeing can be difficult to admit. Perhaps you do not have any close friends or family and this time of year is a glaring reflection of that. This is a typically stressful time for most people whether you have excitement and parties to look forward to or not. The logistics of planning something, financially making the season work for you, the pressure to get the holiday cards out, bake the cookies, buy the food, clean the house, put up the decorations, and deal with the family drama that may ensue from hosting the holiday this year can be especially draining. If you are someone who does not celebrate at all, or being around your family is a trigger, this can be a vulnerable time for you. The seasons are changing, it's getting darker earlier, and it can be a bitter fight to stay sober, not relapse with substance use, eating disorders, or general mental health.

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Valentine’s Day: Managing Feelings of Love, Longing, and Loneliness

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Valentine’s Day: Managing Feelings of Love, Longing, and Loneliness

Often when we think of Valentine’s Day we think about hearts, love, gifts, and planning. For many who struggle with anxiety or worry thoughts, Valentine’s Day can be full of worries around disappointing someone else. Worries around being alone and your future relationships can also come to mind if you do not have a partner. For those struggling with depression, cynical thoughts around the unworthiness of finding love, cynical thoughts around the commercialization of the holiday, or hopelessness around finding a partner may occur. With so many thoughts like these, it is likely that Valentine’s Day can be difficult for many!

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Ten Ways to Show Yourself All The Love on Valentine’s Day

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Ten Ways to Show Yourself All The Love on Valentine’s Day

Whether you're in a relationship or not, focusing on self-love and kindness is crucial in order to support and love others as well. Often when we are single during Valentine’s Day we can feel frustrated with extravagant gifts, or feeling we have to buy presents. While we may have varying opinions on Valentine’s Day, we know it’s celebrated so why not take advantage of it and celebrate you?

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Finding Holiday Cheer in the Midst of Holiday Stress

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Finding Holiday Cheer in the Midst of Holiday Stress

As the weather is getting colder and the holidays are approaching, more to-dos, deadlines, and social pressures may arise. However, there are many ways to take care of your emotional wellbeing during the holiday season. Did you know, the winter sun in Norway doesn’t rise above the horizon, the days are short and dimly lit. So the Norwegians take the opportunity to create koselig, or a cozy way of living. This tradition means getting under a blanket with a cup of tea and enjoying your time with family and friends peacefully. And koselig must be working as Norwegians have astonishingly low rates of seasonal affective disorder and depression rates during the winter.

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Managing Your Mental Health During the Holidays

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Managing Your Mental Health During the Holidays

While the holidays may bring up thoughts of spending time with friends, delicious food, and other festivities, for others the holidays can bring up feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. This year, these feelings may be stronger with many unable to see family and friends. If you’re experiencing stress during this holiday season, below are some coping strategies to manage increased levels of stress, anxiety, and sadness.