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This dimension is described as "an awareness, understanding, and acceptance of our feelings, and our ability to manage effectively through challenges and change."

 

When emotional wellness suffers, your relationships, mental health, and ability to do day-to-day activities can also suffer. 

Struggling to maintain emotional wellness may even impact physical health with issues that can look like the classic effects of stress—including high blood pressure and digestive issues. 

 

Let’s explore the reasons why the holidays are stressful and learn practical tips for emotional wellness during the holiday season.

December 3rd - International Day of Persons with Disabilities

December 5th - International Volunteer Day

Universal Human Rights Month

The exhaustion of planning, cooking, traveling, and ALL the joy (yes, excessive joy can be exhausting) can be overwhelming for a lot of people. And, if you are an introvert, the stress of family gatherings and get-togethers with friends can limit the time you have to recharge in solitude.

For those who have experienced loss, the grief and sorrow during the season can be paralyzing. Additionally, memories of trauma can be triggered or heightened during the holiday season.

Spending the holidays alone (not by choice), due to work, distance, life circumstances, can be depressing and lonely.

Societal pressure to spend money, especially if you are struggling with your financial situation, can create a feeling of inadequacy and heighten stress responses.

Fortunately, there are some ways to protect your emotional wellness during the holidays.

Acknowledge your feelings. If someone close to you has recently died or you can’t be with loved ones for other reasons, realize that it’s normal to feel sadness and grief. It’s OK to take time to cry or express your feelings. You can’t force yourself to be happy just because it’s the holiday season.

Be realistic. The holidays don’t have to be perfect or just like last year. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children or other relatives can’t come to your home, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videos. Or meet virtually on a video call. Even though your holiday plans may look different this year, you can find ways to celebrate.

Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can’t participate in every project or activity. 

Don’t abandon healthy habits. Don’t let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Try these suggestions:

- Have a healthy snack before holiday meals so that you don’t go overboard on sweets, cheese, or drinks.

- Eat healthy meals.

- Get plenty of sleep.

- Include regular physical activity in your daily routine.

- Try deep-breathing exercises, meditation or yoga.

Take a breather. Make some time for yourself. Find an activity you enjoy. Take a break by yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm. Some options may include:

- Taking a walk at night and stargazing

- Listening to soothing music

- Reading a book

Food is part of holiday traditions, and your family may look forward to certain recipes. Luckily, there are some ways to make your favorite holiday recipes a bit healthier. Consider the following tips to transform your holiday recipes:

Fat—For baked goods, use half the butter or oil and replace the other half with unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, or Greek yogurt.

Salt—Gradually cut back the salt to see if you can taste the difference. You can reduce salt by half if baked goods don’t require yeast.

Sugar—Reduce the amount of sugar by one-third to one-half. Instead, add spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg, or flavorings such as vanilla or almond extract to boost sweetness.

Healthy swaps can also increase the nutritional value of your classics. Get creative and experiment with other ways of creating healthy recipes for your most beloved holiday traditions.

Get cozy and warm this winter with this calming cocoa deep breathing activity. Deep breathing, or abdominal breathing, reduces anxiety and fatigue and can increase overall health.

Whether you have a cup of hot chocolate in front of you, or you imagine yourself holding one - the process is the same…

Hold the mug close to your face and slowly inhale the delicious scent of the chocolate. Maybe you can even smell the whipped cream or peppermint that you have added to your hot chocolate. Breathe it all in. Take a moment as you smell deeply and enjoy the aroma. Now you need to cool your hot chocolate before you drink it - so slowly blow into your mug. Feel your breath as you slowly exhale. Then take another long and deep smell of the chocolate (about 4 seconds), and then blow on your warm cocoa again. Repeat several more times.

We hope you learned something new to make the holiday season a little more joyful. 

December 8, 2023 at 4:00 PM (EST)

December 19, 2023 at 7:30 AM (EST)

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