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!

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?

Many clinicians and clients alike tout the positive aspects of journaling. When working towards a personal goal, managing emotional wellbeing, or looking for a creative outlet, journaling can be an excellent coping mechanism. Journaling is a simple, and extremely effective coping mechanism yet it is largely underutilized.

While many of us cannot wait for 2020 to end and feel 2021 will be better no matter what, there may still be some individual resolutions we can all consider, not only for our physical health but our mental health as well. Research has shown that there are certain strategies that improve mood and reduce the risk for mental health concerns. The ten strategies below are simple resolutions you might consider that can have a big impact on your well-being as we ring in 2021.

The holidays hold a lot of pressure for many. Even if you are looking forward to the lights, food, and festivities during the holiday season, there may also be a lot of stress. Pressure to impress loved ones with the most picture-perfect meal or the greatest gift can lead to stress. Wanting to buy the best gift can lead to strains on a tight budget, and this year, the delays in packages can lead to stress and anxiety that your gifts won’t arrive on time. For many this year, feelings of sadness may also arise from being unable to be close to family during this time. Below are a few things you can do if you find yourself stressed or depressed during this holiday season.

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.

As the holidays approach, many struggle with difficulties that can make it a challenge to feel grateful and maintain a positive outlook. However, having a positive outlook has been linked to better ability to problem solve, and overall greater emotional wellness. So why be grateful at all? Well, gratitude enables you to see your life in a larger context beyond immediate problems. Gratitude expands your life experiences and counteracts ego-centered preoccupations with losses, fears, and wants. If you are only grateful when good things happen, it reinforces your ego’s demand for good things, leading to greater disappointment when things do not turn out the way you had hoped.

With the holiday season approaching, as stress and anxiety heighten, it can be helpful to develop more coping strategies to get through particularly difficult moments throughout your day. Mindfulness meditation can be an extremely helpful technique to reduce your stress and anxiety.However, you can engage in these practices even without any formal meditation throughout your day. Below are a few ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life allowing you to feel more focused, calm, and at peace.

As we end Halloween and approach Thanksgiving, thoughts of other winter holidays also begin to come up. Planning for all of these holidays and events can bring about panic, anxiety, stress, and a feeling of all the things we “have to” do. These “have to’s” such as cooking, decorating, buying gifts, getting together with others, etc. are the “have to’s” many of us face throughout the holiday season. With so many things to do, these “have to’s” can take a toll on our well-being. But do we really have to do all of these “have to’s”? Not necessarily. There are ways to make sure you find a balance between what you want to do, and what you have to do this holiday season.

As Thanksgiving approaches, the focus on gratitude and being thankful for others comes to mind. The research on understanding the impact of gratitude on health and relationships has also expanded over the last several years. Expressing gratitude on a consistent basis has been shown to positively impact important areas in one’s life including emotional wellbeing, physical health, and connectedness in relationships.