Tips for Managing Emotions Around the Holidays
For many people, the holidays really are “the most wonderful time of the year.” But for others, this catchy song lyric doesn’t always hold true. The holiday season brings out a myriad of complex emotions and feelings for everyone. Here are some tips for managing your emotions around the holiday season.
Be Realistic About Expectations
Holiday ads and movies can make you feel like you have to have the perfect “spread” or “traditions” to celebrate. But you really don’t have to. Maybe typical traditions aren’t your thing, and that’s OK. Holidays don’t have to mean we need to prepare a banquet or have the best decorations or give the best gifts.
Understanding Your Triggers
Before I go further into this, here’s a little anecdotal personal snippet of my life I’m comfortable sharing to explain what I mean. I shared with my own therapist the dynamics of my home life and how, as a teenager and into further adulthood, I developed an “independence” persona.
While I love my family, I don’t miss “home” (the physical location of where my childhood took place), often. She stated to me, “Maybe you don’t miss home because “home” for you never felt like home - you never felt fully safe.”
By sharing this, I hope you were able to recognize that I understood that the physical home I grew up in, is a trigger. Through this, it’s important for us to not only understand what we are feeling but also why we are feeling this way. This comes with a lot of self-reflection and facing some not-so-great emotions or digging deep into some more deep-rooted past issues.
Redefine the Meaning of “Family Time”
During the holidays, families, and spending time with family, is stressed more than any other time of the year. But what does family really mean to you? What do you want it to mean? Families are different for everyone. They could be purely the people you’re blood and biologically related to. Families could be friends or spouses you choose. Families could be you and your pets. Or, they could be a mix of all of the above. It’s your decision who to include in “family” when you celebrate, and it’s also your decision to choose not to spend time with family at all.
Sometimes There’s Such a Thing as Too Much Merry
Holidays ≠ Happiness, at least not always. And that’s OK. Sometimes bad things happen around the holidays and we have to learn how to handle grief among the merriment.
Sometimes, we can over-indulge ourselves on things we don’t need to - such as eating or drinking. We don’t have to over-exert ourselves in order to have a good holiday season. Sometimes the merry is finding and keeping normalcy.
Making Time for You
As always, a therapist, (as I am) will stress the importance of self-care and making time for you. Stress is all around us and seems to increase even more around the holidays. It’s important to make sure you’re finding ways for you to handle and manage the stress, especially if and when it’s unavoidable. Some potential things to prioritize may be:
● Calling friends, families, or loved ones
● Doing activities you love such as meditation, deep breathing, or exercising
● Getting some fresh air
● Making a Gratitude List
● Setting boundaries
● Getting enough sleep
● Avoiding alcohol and overeating
● Volunteering
Begin ACT Therapy in Miami, FL
ACT can offer support in addressing stress and other strong emotions. Our team of caring therapists would be happy to offer you support from our Miami, FL-based practice and across the state. You can start your therapy journey by following these simple steps:
Reach out to get matched with a Miami couples therapist
Get to know our team of caring therapists
Start receiving the help you deserve!
Other Services Offered With Miami Vibes Counseling
Our team is happy to offer a variety of mental health services in addition to ACT therapy. We also offer support for children, adults, parents, and families. Our services include therapy for grief, life transitions, spirituality, trauma, and PTSD. Some of the techniques we use include CBT and TF-CBT. All of these services are available both in person and through virtual therapy.
