The holiday season is typically seen as a time of joy and merriment; of family and friends gathering and celebrating together. However, many have begun to have honest conversations about the darker side of “the most wonderful time of year.”
For many with mental illness, or those who have family and loved ones who face mental health issues, these can be tremendously difficult times. Perhaps we hope to feel connected to — and understood by — those around us during upcoming celebrations, only to be disappointed. Or maybe we imagine fulfilling family dinners, only to struggle fitting in. We might plan for parties with friends, only to find we’re feeling trapped in our own minds and lost to waves of depression.
These “holiday blues,” however, can be managed. Here are a few ways to create self-care activities to help carry us through the season.
