Written by Brooklyn Do LMHC, CoreStory Clinician
[Click here to read more about her]
The holiday season can provoke a range of emotions and stresses but this holiday season can feel especially stressful because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you choose to gather with family, celebrate with your existing household members, or connect virtually, it is important to begin to cope with the feelings that will arise. Beginning the coping process before we reach the holidays will allow us to identify potential factors that may cause emotional distress and develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage that distress. The benefits of coping ahead of the holiday season include allowing yourself to create realistic expectations and bringing a sense of control during a time of uncertainty.
3 ways to begin to cope-ahead during the holiday season are:
Identify How You’re Feeling
Identifying how you’re feeling about the upcoming holidays may allow you to feel less overwhelmed. There are a range of emotions that people are feeling currently; often we are feeling multiple emotions at once. This makes it more difficult for us to process and understand our feelings. Take some time to explore and sort through your emotions in a way that feels productive to you (i.e. meditation, journaling, talking with a therapist). Once you are able to identify how you are feeling, you are able to begin to cope with those emotions.
Acknowledge What’s Changing
Holidays are usually a time when we reflect on what’s changed; this year you may feel a sense of loss. Our lives have all been impacted in varying degrees because of the pandemic. You may feel you have lost your ability to celebrate important events and holidays as you had in the past. Take a moment to acknowledge the changes you’ve experienced this year and the emotions that accompanied that change.
Identify Healthy Coping Mechanisms
The holiday season can bring on emotional distress, especially during a pandemic. It is important to identify skills and tools that allow you manage that emotional distress.
The points listed above can feel daunting to tackle on your own but you do not have to do it alone. Working with a therapist can allow you to reflect and process how to cope with this holiday season and all the changes you’ve experience this year. However you choose to spend the holiday season, take the time to care for your emotional well-being.