Manage Holiday Mania, Part 3: Maintaining Emotional Balance and Mental Stability

Are you feeling the swing of the holidays? Are the kids getting extra excited and rambunctious?

As much as that might be driving you CRAZY, it might also have you feeling a little jealous—wishing you could be so happy, hopeful and energetic.

Perhaps you don’t have children, but there are other demands wearing you out, or other emotions overwhelming you. 

If you’re feeling weary, overwhelmed, high strung, depressed, anxious, or….

….if you’re just not grasping the holiday spirit….

–keep reading!

Hopefully you’ve read Part 1 and Part 2 of this “Manage Holiday Mania” series and have already found some great tips for producing good vibes for the holiday season, and keeping your physical health in check. If not, go read them now; they’ll give you a good start!

Or….

I combined the four posts into ONE great Holiday Survival Guide that you can download now and have all the tips and strategies at your fingertips right away. You’ll also have journal pages so you can really dive into the questions and plan how you might implement new ideas to ease your way through the season. I believe you’ll find it helpful beyond the holidays. Just click the link below.

Download “Manage Holiday Mania: A FREE Holiday Survival Guide“

If you prefer to keep reading on the blog, here’s Part 3 continued….

Here is help for you to calm your emotions and stabilize your energy levels.

For some the holiday season is energizing and up-lifting—so much so that it can be difficult to wind down at the end of bustling days. Anticipation, whether exciting or dreadful, can put you out of sorts—munching irregularly, drinking excessively, welling with anxiety, feeling like you’re in a whirlwind.

For others it’s draining. Maybe depression kicks in extra hard, diagnosed or not. Seasonal Affective Disorder is real! But so is simple, unexplained sadness and deeper sadness related to loss, loneliness, or other turmoils magnified, instead of distracted by the season.

The first question it might be helpful to ask is:

What do you need to do to recharge? What do YOU need?

I tend to be high-strung and overly-anxious. I love to release some energy with a good surf session or a hard run or workout several times a week, but when my emotions are frazzled I need down time.

What about you?

What do you value that is being forgotten or left out right now? How can you carry that through the holidays?

Do you crave some down time, like I do? Or are you seeking some excitement, stimulation and adventure to get you going?

Do you need to be lifted up right now? Would it excite you to find a group to join, a cause to support, or a project to get involved in?

Or would you benefit from having some time alone to journal, reflect, or ponder possibilities for the new year?

What would give you a natural surge of energy? 

Next questions:

Who could support you? 

Who could you ask for physical help with daunting tasks, watching the kids, getting things done around the house, engaging in more hugs? Yes, sometimes I ask my husband and son for more hugs. They can’t read my mind to know what I wish for. If you’re down and out, you can’t expect even your closest peeps to know exactly what to do to help you. It’s OK ask.

Who could provide social support to join you volunteering at a local shelter, meet you for hikes, or chat on the phone? Is there someone in your life who is usually up for anything? How about someone you know who could use the extra lift as well? Is there an old friend you’ve been wanting to rekindle a relationship with? The simple re-connection could enliven you both.

Who would be a great source of emotional support to listen to you without judging or advising, a strong voice that could inspire you, a good questioner who might help you reframe your present circumstances? I know a Life, Love and Wellness Coach who would certainly accept this role for you!

When can you fit in some serious self-care?

Let go of the guilt. Your mental health is valuable to you AND those around you.

You CAN carve some time for quality self-care activities!

Start with thinking about how you can continue daily routines with which you’ve already found great success? 

It can seem like your life will be in upheaval during the holidays, but if you just take a few moments to think it through you might be more capable of maintaining routine than you first thought when the overwhelm or anxiety crept up.

Look for ways around the obstacles that you foresee. Don’t settle into victimhood; create an empowered mindset and seek opportunities to carry on your self-care practices.

If you don’t already have daily routines, maybe you can incorporate one of these: 

• a morning stretch
• a 10 minute coffee and meditation (this could involve simply sipping your coffee while you pray, meditate, sit quietly, or express gratitude to the universe)
• a 15 minute sunlight bask (this can be in a window if it’s cold outside, or incorporating light therapy, or phototherapy if you live somewhere where sunlight is diminished)
• family time outside in the yard, on the balcony, in a nearby park… Don’t underestimate what 15 minutes a day outside could do for unsettled bodies, no matter how little.
• reading for a certain number of minutes or pages every morning or evening before bed
• soaking in a bath lavished with magnesium powder or Epsom salts, essential oils, flower petals, herbs, or some combination of these
• enjoy a foot soak if you’re like me and don’t take baths—I love a soak with Epsom salts and rosemary and peppermint leaves or lavender essential oil at night!

How can you manage your holiday schedule?

When you look at the big picture, is there just t-o-o m-u-c-h?

Do you need to tone down any activities?

Can you simplify anything like baking, cooking, shopping, sending cards minus personal notes?

Are there invitations to which you just need to respond “No, thank you.”?

And there’s sleep! You are getting enough sleep, right?! Try, try, try to keep your normal sleep patterns; or at least maintain 7-9 hours even if parties are keeping you out later than usual.

Keep breakfasts super simple or prep breakfast casseroles ahead of time. Don’t let the kitchen summons you to short yourself on sleep. It’s soooo important!

And don’t forget to make some time to watch all the fabulous Christmas movies!! “A Christmas Story” will always be my favorite. How about you?

Now, why are you doing what you’re doing?

Is there a good reason for you to pour your heart, energy, time and effort into what you are planning?

Ask yourself this:

“Does __________ fit in with what I decided this time of year means to me and my family?”

Fill in the blank with any activity your planning, questioning, dreading or doubting?

Are you prioritizing the best elements?

In Part 1, you decided on this guiding principle for the holiday season. Stick to it as much as possible.

I’ve got one more post for this series. Of course you could just download the Holiday Survival Guide now.

But first, you might want to check out my post, Chaos to Calm. It’s full of tips to manage stress and chaos ANY time of year!

So, what are you planning to do to help yourself charge and recharge through the holiday season? I’d love to read about it in the comments!

Or, send me a private message and tell me about it.

Here are links to the first posts one more time:

Part 1

Part 2

Remember you can download the whole series in one awesome Holiday Survival Guide right HERE.

Thanks for reading!

Live, love and be well!

Jen