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Holiday seasons are in full swing. Along with the joyous occasions comes the stress of planning, anticipating, nagging/ being nagged, and people pleasing. There are likely other stresses as well. Some of those would be sadness of lost loved ones, guilt of inability to meet expectations, or worry of how you or family or friends might present selves. Stress from self, work, and your own expectations can spiral into increased anxiety and/or depression. All this during a season that is hallmarked as joyous and memorable.
Many mental health professionals and doctors give similar feedback to those suffering from increased stress during the holiday seasons. This feedback need not be a prescription medication, rather a prescribed lifestyle change. I teach my clients of all ages simple methods that truly work when one is stressed. The core of the teaching comes from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), an offshoot from Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). I teach from the easy to use DBT Skills List (https://www.dbtselfhelp.com/html/dbt_skills_list.html) focusing on slowing the breathing, changing the thinking, and I focus greatly on nature. I use all of these as DBT while promoting the ability to use it any time needed.
The holidays are a special time for many people, but can also be stressful. Practicing breathing, recognizing and changing negative thoughts, and focusing on natural surroundings are tools that can help during any time of the year. Hopefully, you can learn to enjoy this season that would ordinarily cause increased stress.
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