It’s the day after Thanksgiving. Even for traditionalists who didn’t put up their Christmas tree in early November, today starts the official “holiday season.” I can’t wait for my regular anxiety and my pandemic anxiety to meet my holiday anxiety!
We know it’s coming, and we know this year, especially, will look incredibly different for so many of us. For those more fortunate, we’re striving for holidays that are still full of magic and glitter without the traditional options of Santa Claus visits, holiday programs and cookie exchange parties. For those that have already faced the hardest year of their lives, it means creating memories without knowing how you’re going to pay for gifts under the tree or planning a first Christmas without a loved one at the table. We’re told the holidays aren’t cancelled, but the worry and anxiety about how we manifest holiday magic are starting to sink in. (Deep breath, friends, if this triggering your own anxious spiral. I have some things we can practice together.)
I did not make this list up nor am I the first to say these things, but maybe it’s your first time to hear it. Even though our emotions are “in here”, there are a lot of things you can do for your emotional well-being by practicing some very physical habits.
1. Drink plenty of water
2. Move your body
3. Get enough sleep
4. Practice gratitude
5. Do something kind for someone else
Drinking plenty of water is not a new thing, but there are scientifically based studies that show it does more than just flushing out the toxins. Being well hydrated affects your mood, concentration, and for those that are prone to headaches, keeps those bad boys at bay. Have a plan every morning to drink your goal amount of water. Don’t know how much that is? Don’t worry, smarter people than I have some advice. But the other part of this equation is to remind yourself it is a daily goal. So don’t beat yourself up if you’ve only had water in your coffee – just take the next day to do better.
Moving your body is one of the NICEST things you can do for yourself. I have friends across the spectrum in their belief for what is best for them – but don’t compare yourself to any of them. Find the thing that you enjoy – weather it’s a walk in the woods, yoga for beginners or running 8 miles before sunrise, take the time to include movement in your daily routine. Don’t have a routine yet? Start small. A 10-minute walk is better than a zero-minute walk every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Getting enough sleep is so very personal. This is another area where knowing yourself and knowing your body rhythms makes such a huge difference in how we react to stress. But getting more sleep takes discipline. Turn off the screen, put down the phone and make yourself go to bed one hour earlier. If you’re an over-thinker (I have a few in my life), keep a notepad or journal next to your bed and write down all the things you have swirling in your brain that are keeping you awake. (For my Harry Potter fans, think Dumbledore’s pensieve.) You can translate these thoughts to your phone to-do list in the morning, but trust me that actual pen and paper work best. The act of writing down your thoughts takes them out of your head and quiets the space between your ears enough for you to rest.
Practicing gratitude is not a natural state for most humans. That’s why they call it practice. But it can be one of the healthiest ways to clear our own heads and take that mentality of “it’s never enough” to “abundant blessings.” Find your own way to make it a habit – set a reminder on your phone, download a gratitude app (yes! that’s a thing), or use that same bedside journal to track all of the places in your life where you can lean into joy by leaning into the act of being grateful.
This last one is monumental in taking your thinking outside of your own whoa-is-me bubble that we find ourselves wallowing in during times of high stress. When you are at your peak of heightened anxiety, take a moment to re-engage with someone, anyone, outside of yourself. Write a thank you note to a teacher (they could all use a million thank you’s this year!), make your spouse their morning coffee without expectation, pick up the phone and call a friend, or take it to your community and sign up to volunteer at a food shelter or adopt an Angel this season. The act of being kind to other human beings reminds us that we are not alone. We are a part of something bigger. And, regardless of how small the act is, each one of us matters to someone else in this big crazy world.
However your season is shaping up to look like, be kind to yourself, have some self compassion, and make time every day to physically work towards better mental health. Be well, my friends.
