The holiday season is a time of year of countless social activities, holiday shopping and quality time with loved ones. This busy season can also be filled with long to-do lists, lots of family obligations, overbooking yourself and all the related stress! It is helpful to keep a positive attitude when things feel a bit chaotic, but it is also important to acknowledge that the stress of the holiday season is a real thing!
During the last few years, celebrating the holiday season has looked a little different for everyone than it had in the past. Those once annual traditional activities that families and friends would partake in became more difficult to do. But as the world slowly gets back to normal, or in some cases back to the new normal, celebrating the holiday season may see a few changes. Recognize that you may have a little more stress than in years past, and understand that you’re not alone. Many others are trying to navigate what this new normal looks like, too.
Here is a list of five tips for staying positive during the holiday season. The good thing is you don’t have to complete all of these in order to help keep a positive spirit. Each tip can help you stay cheerful and thankful during the most wonderful time of the year. If one of the tips catches your eye, don’t just keep it to yourself. Share these tips with your friends and loved ones so that they can also have a positive and festive holiday season this year and in the years to come!
Top 5 tips for staying positive during the holiday season
Begin a gratitude journal – A gratitude journal is a great way to remind yourself how lucky and fortunate you are during the holiday season. Write down what you are grateful for and think about ways you can thank your loved ones around you. Make it a routine and start each day by writing down what you’re grateful for. Or you can implement this habit into your nightly routine by doing it before bed. The neat thing about doing this is that if you do it every year you can look back to past years’ gratitude journals and see what you were thankful for then.
Get involved with a local charity – Spend a day feeding the homeless or passing out gifts to families. Seeing how others live will remind you how fortunate you are. You’ll also be able to put a smile on their faces, which will put a smile on your face, too. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance partners with Firefly Children & Family Alliance who is looking for sponsors to purchase gifts for kids in need this holiday season.
Don’t compare yourself to others – Everyone has their own traditions for celebrating the holidays. Happiness is not measured by the beauty of your decorations, your award-winning pie or the number of gifts you give or receive. The holiday season is about being with family, friends and loved ones that accept you for who you are. The holiday season is the perfect time to delete social media applications off your phone and live in the present. With the time you save from scrolling through social posts, you could also pick up a book that you’ve been wanting to read.
Celebrate your goals this year and every year – It's easy to forget about your health goals during the holiday season with desserts, snacks and meals that you typically do not eat so accessible. This is the perfect time to check in with yourself and remember the goals you set in the beginning of the year and focus on what you want your end result to ultimately be.
Stay connected with family and friends – Reach out to family, friends and co-workers this holiday season. This time of the year is also the perfect excuse to catch up and reconnect with those you haven’t reached out to recently; if you can visit them in person, even better! The joy of being together can provide support for yourself or loved ones that may be struggling. It’s as simple as a call to say, hello and that can make a difference for everyone.
The importance of mental health awareness during the holiday season
The holidays can be a hectic season filled with family, food, parties, shopping and travel. For most of us, this is supposed to be a joyful and exciting time. But for some, the stress, overeating and overspending that go hand-in-hand with the season can steal that joy. It is important to check up on yourself during these crazy times and make sure your mental health is being taken care of. If you find yourself in a dark space, go back to the tips above to start fresh and get some of that positivity back into your life during the holidays.
We wish you the happiest of holidays and hope your holiday season is filled with love, joy and positivity!