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Resources to Help You Manage Stress and Mental Health This Holiday Season and Beyond

December 30, 2021December 14, 2021 by Angela Dodd

It’s not a secret the holidays are stressful. Between family gatherings, shopping for and affording gifts, and the change in the seasons, it’s common for people to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and even depressed. While this time of year is often associated with love and happiness, these unpleasant feelings and behaviors can creep in. So, what can you do if the holidays (or the rest of the year) is affecting your mental health?

What is stress?

Let’s start with what stress is. The Mayo Clinic defines it as “a normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life.” There is such a thing as good stress that helps motivate you, but there is also bad stress that pushes you beyond your ability to cope. Our brains have a sort of alarm system that we’re born with to help protect us. When we perceive a threat, that part of the brain signals your body to release hormones that increase our heart rate and raise our blood pressure, commonly known as a “fight-or-flight” response. Once the threat is gone, our bodies should return to a relaxed state, but modern life often complicates our responses, and sometimes people’s alarm systems don’t shut off.

This is where stress management tools come into play. They can help your mind and body adapt, so you’re not always on high alert. Stress can be damaging to your health and your relationships, so it’s helpful to arm your arsenal with stress management techniques.

There are holistic approaches to reducing stress, which take into account physical, mental, social, and spiritual factors. These include activities such as exercise, meditation, getting a good night’s sleep, journaling, practicing breathing exercises, spending time with friends and family, practicing yoga, and eating a healthy diet. These techniques are factors of a healthy lifestyle and thus play a role in reducing your stress naturally.

A few helpful stress management apps

There are also apps that can assist you in stress management right at your fingertips. Breathe2Relax provides information on stress, how it affects the body and helps you learn to manage stress through diaphragmatic breathing exercises. Calm helps you find less stress and better sleep. Headspace is an app that makes meditation simple. Center Meditation Timer provides you with distraction-free meditation, insights, and tips.

But when stress and anxiety become too much, there are plenty of resources available for you to seek the help you or your loved ones need. Let me preface this by saying I’m not a mental health professional. This is not meant to be prescriptive. It’s always recommended that you contact your doctor or mental health professional for medical advice. This is a simply a list of resources to assist you if you or someone you know needs to talk to someone this holiday season.

If you’re looking for someone to talk to

Psychology Today’s website has a myriad of resources to help you on your journey. Whether you’re looking for a therapist, a psychiatrist, a support group, a treatment center, or even teletherapy, they can point you in the right direction. They also have numerous resources available to inform and educate you about mental health.

If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a quick rundown. A therapist is a licensed medical professional that can evaluate, diagnose, and treat emotional and mental disorders. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor that specializes in mental health, including substance use disorder. They use medications, talk therapy, and other treatments to treat mental health conditions. A support group is when a group of people meets to share personal experiences, feelings, coping strategies, and firsthand experiences about diseases or treatments. A treatment center is a healthcare facility that provides therapy for mental and behavioral conditions (sometimes referred to as rehab). Teletherapy refers to mental health counseling that takes place online or over the phone.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is also a wealth of knowledge to learn more about mental health and to connect you with more specific information based on your needs. They also offer the NAMI HelpLine, a free, nationwide peer-support service that provides information, resource referrals, and support to people living with mental health conditions, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers, and the public. You can contact the NAMI HelpLine Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST by calling 800-950-NAMI (6264), or you can send them an email at info@nami.org

Please note, if you’re dealing with an emergency situation, call 911.

Other helpful resources

The holidays affect us all differently. It’s OK to seek help for you or someone you know. Here is a list of resources should you need them.

Finding Balance at Home This Holiday Season

November 30, 2021 by Danielle Doolen

Home for the holidays has a new meaning this year as most of us have spent more time at home than ever before. We’ve worked from home, cooked countless meals at home, and facilitated our children’s remote learning from home. As the holiday season quickly approaches, we’re tasked not only with roasting turkeys and wrapping presents but with how to be at home for the holidays when we haven’t left.

While this year is anything but ordinary, we can do our best to make lemonade out of lemons. Here are six tips for finding balance at home this holiday season.

Take Time Off

This should go without saying, but with many people still hesitant to travel due to COVID-19, the thought of taking a traditional vacation has been put on the back burner. So while taking time to recharge sounds like a no-brainer, make sure you’re utilizing your PTO. Put in for that time off of work, put that out of office, and fully disconnect.

Dedicate a Space for Work and a Space for Everything Else

This is key to finding balance when you’re working from home. It’s best to have a space dedicated to work, so when you sign off for the day, you can mentally and physically step away. This helps your brain disconnect from business and reconnect with your life outside of work.

Not everyone has the luxury of having a dedicated office space or even a desk. So when your kitchen table is doubling as your work area, create a ritual that signifies when your working hours are over. It could be as simple as closing your computer or making your to-do list for the next day. This small action signals to your brain to turn off work. When you’re on PTO, fully clear your work space so you can use it for fun holiday activities like baking and puzzles.

Give Yourself and Others Grace

This may be the understatement of the year, but 2020 has been different, so it’s going to feel different. If you’re feeling sad or down, it’s OK. You’re allowed to mourn the year you were expecting and the holiday season you usually look forward to. Give yourself the grace to feel what you feel, good and bad. Take the weight off your shoulders. You don’t need to feel merry and cheerful all of the time. Finding balance in your life is a continuous process. There will be ebbs and flows, so be mindful that even if a moment is stressful or overwhelming, you will find peace and happiness again.

Limit Screen Time

Again, we’re stating the obvious here, but we’re saying it because it’s essential. Screen time can add up quickly. Between phones, computers, iPads, and TVs, it seems like we’re always connected to the digital world in some form or fashion, and it’s often at the detriment of our health. Too much screen time has been linked to sleep issues, depression, anxiety, and more, especially in children and teens.

Additionally, screen time has served as a pacifier for boredom for adults. Think about the last time you stood in a line and just waited without looking at your phone. It might be harder to remember than you think. It’s because when we have a moment of free time, our first instinct is to grab our phones. We can all take a lesson from Michael Rich, MD, MPH, an Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who says, “Boredom is the space in which creativity and imagination happen.” This holiday season, challenge yourself to disconnect and let your mind wander. You might just find a spark of creativity.

Be Intentional About Family Time

When it feels like we’re spending every moment together, you may not feel the need to engage with your family beyond being in the same room with everyone doing their own thing. As with most things in life, it’s best to act intentionally. Don’t merely coexist with your family, plan to watch a movie together, cook a meal together, or have a game night. Get everyone involved by having everyone choose an activity. Need some fresh ideas? Check out this list.

Take Care of Yourself

Check-in with yourself this holiday season. Take the time to listen to your head and your heart and determine what it is you need. What’s it going to take to end your year on a positive note? Is it relaxing, reading a new book, moving your body, or indulging in seasonal treats? Acknowledge what you need and then take action to take care of yourself.

It’s so easy in the hustle and bustle of life to forget about ourselves. We take care of business, we take care of others, but we don’t take care of ourselves. John Christensen, Ph.D., past co-chair of the APA Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance, says, “One of the best things we can do is to develop a reflective habit of checking in with ourselves at least a couple times a day, taking note of the emotional ‘weather’ without judgment.” Hone into your sense of self-awareness and give yourself the gift of whatever it is you need this holiday season.

The 6 Best Career Gifts To Give Yourself

November 16, 2021 by Angela Dodd

The holiday season is among us, and while our celebrations may look a bit different this year, our careers don’t have to. So, when you’re creating your holiday shopping list, don’t forget to add a few things for yourself. While you might think to get yourself a new pair of shoes or a fancy bottle of wine, who says your wish list is only for material things? Sometimes the best gifts are the intangible ones that you can feel the impact of instead of see. Give yourself the gift of a new skill, a more efficient job search, or a better career. Here are six ideas if you’re looking for a place to start.

Join a Networking Group

Studies have shown that upwards of 80% of jobs are found through networking. That fact alone is reason enough to network, but the cherry on top is that it’s estimated that 70% of jobs aren’t even posted online. These days there are plenty of ways to make new connections both in-person and online. Try googling local organizations in your areas of interest to see where you can make connections with professionals in your city. Or if you’re looking for a virtual network of women, check out Females In Food, a professional development, networking, and recruitment platform that unites and accelerates women’s careers across every segment of the food and beverage industry.

Customize Your Work Station

If you’re looking for a tangible gift that will impact your career, use this as an opportunity to finally invest in your work station. With more and more people working from home for the foreseeable future, it’s as important as ever to enjoy your workspace. That means investing in an ergonomic desk chair, hanging up that motivational wall art, or finally getting a pair of wireless headphones. Indulge in something that makes you happy when you log on for the day or something that makes your day a little bit easier. This goes for if you’re working in an office, too!

Hire a Resume Writer

If you’ve ever been on the job hunt, you know it’s a full-time job. Between researching positions and companies, updating your resume, writing cover letters, preparing for the interview, and perfecting the perfect interview outfit, it’s a huge investment of time. It’s frustrating when you apply for job after job, and all you hear is crickets. Unfortunately, the culprit is most likely your resume. If your job search leaves much to be desired, hire a resume writer. Their expertise is to write a resume that gets you noticed and gets you the job. Don’t let your resume be what’s standing in the way between you and your dream career.

Take an Online Course

Online learning has become more and more accessible. This year, give yourself the gift of a new skill. There’s no excuse not to learn about that one thing you’ve been putting off adding to your resume. Check out websites like Skillshare, MasterClass, and Career Contessa to sharpen your skillset and improve your arsenal of expertise.

Work with a Career Coach

The value that comes with working with a career coach is endless. They help you build confidence in your career and help you recognize your value as a professional. If you’re feeling stuck in your current role or need help getting to that next level, there is no better time than now to hire a career coach.

Give Yourself Permission

Perhaps one of the most important gifts you can give yourself this holiday season is permission. Permission to leave a toxic work environment. Permission to move on from a career that no longer suits your ambitions and purpose. Permission to do what’s best for you right here and now. Release yourself from any preconceived notions about your career and what it should be. Give yourself the permission to live your best career today.

Resources to Help You Manage Stress and Mental Health This Holiday Season and Beyond

Finding Balance at Home This Holiday Season

The 6 Best Career Gifts To Give Yourself

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