11 Tips on How to Stay Mentally Healthy During the Holidays.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Those are the lyrics to the classic Christmas tune sung by Andy Williams that we will hear numerous times over the holiday season. What if you don’t feel like it is a wonderful time of the year? This can be a challenging time of year for many people which can make it difficult to stay healthy. Let’s look at 11 tips on how to stay mentally healthy during the holidays.

The holiday seasons bring with it all sorts of messy and difficult situations. From family drama, work demands, social obligations, and social media comparison pressure, most people feel like they are sprinting through the month of December and being pulled in all different directions. 

December or any month shouldn’t feel like that.  

By taking a few minutes before the holidays really get rolling, you can make a game plan that will help you with setting and maintaining boundaries around the parts of the holidays that are really important to you. 

So, here are 11 tips on how to stay mentally healthy during the holidays. 

How to stay mentally healthy during the holidays.

-Set aside one or two days over the holiday season where you don’t let anything be scheduled.

Use them to get caught up on all of the things that stack up this time of year.

I usually pick one day in early December to get ready for the holidays and do my shopping. I always try to hold open the Saturday or Sunday before Christmas to have it be a day of cleaning, planning, and final preparations. 

Put this as a non-negotiable appointment on your calendar and say no to anything that pops up that day. By setting aside time to do the important things, you can set the foundation for how to stay mentally healthy during the holidays.

-Take time to plan ahead for the time you will spend with your family and decide where your boundaries will be set. 

If you have some conflicts in your family, make a plan now for how you are going to handle this during the holiday this year. If there are any conditions or requirements to be included in any holiday gathering you are hosting, communicate those conditions early and be gracious but firm with anyone who is unable to meet those conditions. 

With so much additional controversy over the past two years with Covid and related political differences, Thanksgiving and Christmas could be a controversial or tense dinner this year.  If you do not want this controversy at your table, it is ok to inform everyone that there will be no discussion on these topics at the holiday gathering this year. 

It is ok to limit the family and friends you see this time of year if there are specific people who damage your mental health. You decide who you will spend time with. Be generous with your time with those that build up your mental health, and protect your mental health around those who have damaged it in the past.  

–Be realistic about what you can accomplish. 

Between the impeccably decorated houses shown on Tiktok, and the catalog-ready decorations on Instagram, the comparison struggle is real! Know your limits when it comes to new crafts, baked goods, or decor items, and don’t take on a project that needs more time than you have to devote.

Be realistic in what you commit to doing at work or for others. Your time is even more valuable this month than normal. It’s ok to use some extra vacation time or say no to leading a new time-consuming project. Build in some margin to your weeks so you can still meet all of your deadlines, even if Bob unexpectedly takes Friday off and doesn’t finish his part of the project. 

-Take a few minutes each day to be quiet and mindful. 

The holidays are full of hustle and bustle. All of those noises and demands start to take a toll on your overworked and overstimulated brain. 

Having a few minutes each day where you sit in silence and let your brain pause for a moment can make managing everything just a little easier. Do a 5-minute meditation on headspace, or pause and pray for a few minutes. 

Those quiet restful moments give your brain a break and can make you more focused and energetic afterward. 

-Do something for someone else. 

Wait, didn’t you just tell us to be incredibly protective of your time and now you are telling us to give it away? Yes, I am! 

It doesn’t need to be a big ordeal or cost you hours of your time. Even something small, like buying someone’s coffee in line, or grabbing a few extra food items at the grocery store when you are shopping anyway will make a huge difference to the recipient and provide you with a feel-good boost. 

Doing kind acts causes your body to release the hormone chemicals oxytocin and dopamine. These chemicals are feel-good chemicals that give you that warm and fuzzy feeling after you do an act of kindness. So, it may cost you a few minutes and a few dollars, you are getting that good feeling reward for doing it! 

-Plan something in January for you to look forward to. 

There is a huge letdown when the holidays are over. Everyone goes back to work, the festive holiday decorations are taken down, and all we have to look forward to is spring arriving in 3 long months. It can be a difficult realization after the festive warmth of the holiday season. 

Give yourself something to look forward to in January or February to break up that long winter period. Planning a tropical vacation would be my preferred choice, but it may look different to you. 

I know friends who try to see a special musical, visit family, take a long weekend trip or even a staycation with some fun activities planned, all will give you something to look forward to with some excitement. 

Plan this treat sometime in December, before the holiday’s end, so you have something to look forward to when the holidays are over. 

-Prioritize the family and friends you want to spend time with during this season.

This time of the year, everyone is clamoring for your time, attention, and energy. You can’t give this to everyone without leaving anything left for yourself. Be firm with your boundaries with people who are not on the priority list. 

Before you see them take a moment to decide if you will just say, no, I am unable to do that/attend/get together in December with you. Or will you offer an alternative like meeting up for holiday drinks in January? Make a plan so you don’t panic at the moment and agree to do whatever it is that you didn’t want to do! 

-Plan one memorable seasonal self-care activity that you can only do this time of year.

This time of year is about making memories with loved ones in your life. There are some things that you can only do this time of year, so make a plan to do something special with the special people in your life! 

This could be activities like: 

• Ice skating
• Tree shopping/cutting 
• Looking at Christmas lights
• Sledding 
• Baking your favorite Christmas treats.
• Photos with Santa
• A winter-themed spa treatment

-Make a point to frequently spend short amounts of time outside during the day.

For people in the northern hemisphere, this can be a long and dark time of the year. Getting time outside so the sun can stimulate your body, will help improve your mental health and ensure you are getting enough Vitamin D for your body to function well. 

It can be cold and uncomfortable this time of year outside, so you don’t have to spend hours outside each day. Even taking five minutes outside on your porch or deck with your face in the sun can make an impact on your body. Couple this with your moments of quiet, and you have a double-duty self-care activity! 

A walk around the block at lunch or before the sun sets is another great way to get a little movement and sun in your life together.  It’s the little habits that you pick up that really help you figure out how to stay mentally healthy during the holidays.

-Make a budget for the additional costs of the holidays and stick to it.

Keeping your mental health stable can be extra difficult if you are stressed about money this time of the year. Before the holidays start, take a few minutes and write down the extra spending you can afford to do in the following categories:

• Gifts
• Going out
• Entertaining
• Decor

Once you have your budget set, make sure you are tracking your spending so you know how close you are to meeting your budgeted amount. 

By staying on top of the tracking, you know exactly where you are at, which will eliminate sleepless nights worrying about financial difficulties. 

-Be ok with saying no or asking for help. 

The holidays come with significant additional time commitments and responsibilities. Be very selective with what you add to your calendar, and use “No” liberally as commitments and responsibilities come up. 

Don’t assume that you have to complete everything yourself. If someone offers to do something or bring something to an event, take them up on the offer! Go one step farther, and ask people for help. I know that can be challenging, but by outsourcing a few items to other people, you can focus your time and energy on the parts of the holidays that are really important to you. 

How staying mentally healthy during the holidays can save you money.

Sticking to a budget and being intentional with your spending is significantly easier when you are feeling healthy. This time of the year is filled with luxury and indulgences, people pushing you to spend, spend, spend. 

Be intentional with your spending, make a point to buy a few things, food, or experiences that bring you great joy, but don’t fritter your money away this month. 

As the holiday season progresses, many people start feeling more overwhelmed and pressured from all sides of life. By setting boundaries ahead of time, you can nix that overwhelm before it takes over. 

The problem with overwhelm is it causes you to “press the easy button” when it comes to getting things done. Things like hiring out cleaning, buying prepared food, or buying instead of making a gift all make things easier, but can be costly if you are not budgeting for them as a part of your spending. 

This time of year, be intentional with your spending so you get the most value, family time, and enjoyment from the money you are spending. Your mental health is important, so don’t let it deteriorate as you progress through the holiday season. 

There was a lot in this post today about how to stay mentally healthy during the holidays. What struck you as you read through it?  The holidays can be a tough time for many people for different reasons. Whatever unique way you have struggled in the past, make a plan to address it head-on this year. 

Have you figured out how to stay mentally healthy during the holidays? If so, I would love to hear your secrets and tips! Share what works for you in the comments below or over on Instagram!