It’s coming again: the holiday season! Intended as a time-out; a time to take a break from work, enjoy life for a while, share gifts, and eat great food, the holiday season in our complex society has become a stressor, not a relaxer. But stressful or not, the holidays come every year, and we all have to figure out how to cope.
For people coping with mood swings all year ‘round, the extra highs and lows of the holiday season can be especially difficult, and if you aren’t careful, can throw of your stability for weeks or even months. But with careful preparation ahead of time, the stresses can be minimized and the celebration enhanced. Here’s how:
1. Planning, planning, planning. There’s a reason why MoodSurfing gets the holiday hints post out early, because preparation going into it is key to maximizing enjoyment and minimizing stress. Reflect back on how the holidays have gone in recent years. Will you be doing a more “normal” holiday season this year, or are you still in pandemic mode for some areas of life? What has been going well during the holidays and where do problems typically come up? Decide ahead of time how you will approach the problem areas if and when necessary. You may even want to write down dialogues for family confrontations. They may not go the way you’ve written them, but a script can give you confidence and remind you where your boundaries are and when to stop the conversation.
2. Make a budget and resolve to stick to it. Don’t make spending decisions based on emotion or mood, that way trouble lies. Decide ahead of time what you will spend in each area, and use strong strategies to keep your resolve. One recommendation that’s becoming more common is to use cash instead of cards. You can count out how much you have in each category, and when the cash is gone, the category is closed. It’s much harder to do that with a credit card!
3. Prioritize self-care. Exercise, diet and sleep schedules are your friends. The holidays are notorious for getting us off our diet and exercise plan and keeping us up late. It’s OK to give yourself some slack during the holidays, but keep the schedules in mind. Then, if you get off them, it’s easier to get right back on when the break is over.
4. What are your triggers? What might happen, or what might somebody say or do that could trigger anxiety, depression or mania? Write down all the possible triggers you can think of and make a plan for each one. How will you respond to the trigger itself? What will you do if a mood change gets started? Who in your immediate circle is your ally in handling these kinds of challenges? Let them know what your trigger plan is and what you may need before it happens, and you won’t have to figure it all out in the heat of the moment.
And, above all, remember to have a good time! For all their stressors, holidays are meant to be celebrated, so go for it!