5 Tips for Maintaining A Healthy Mental Space This Holiday Season
For many, the approaching holiday season might be a particularly challenging time during COVID-19. Pre-pandemic, this is usually deemed as the most wonderful time of the year. And now with the news of an upcoming vaccine release, we should be full of joy, right?
The reality is, many of us haven’t seen our friends and family in months, and even if we have, it’s not in the typical fashion we’re used to. We’re cooped up inside, our routine is out of whack, and one of our biggest daily decisions we have to make is if we’re going to change out of our nighttime pajamas into our daytime pajamas.
The struggle is real, and we’ve come up with some tips to help you find the small joys in everyday life and maintain your sanity.
Get Outside
It’s so important to get outside and soak up some Vitamin D. With the shorter days and weather quickly getting cooler, it’s easy for the day to slip away and stay indoors. That’s why it’s important to be intentional and set aside time to get outdoors, even if just for 10 minutes. Whether you sneak out during a busy work day to eat lunch outside, go for a morning run, or plan a weekend stroll around the neighborhood to look at holiday decorations, there are many ways to get up and get out! Having time in the fresh air is not only good for your physical health, but can improve your mental health as well.
Do Things That Refresh You
People get re-energized in different ways and from different activities. For some, it’s exercise. For others, it might be taking a bubble bath or reading a good book with a candle burning. For many, it means binging Netflix for five hours straight. Whatever your activity is that rejuvenates you, do it often, especially when you feel stressed or overwhelmed!
Check in with People
Many people have Zoom fatigue, but it’s important to make sure you maintain connections during this time. It’s essential to feel connected to other people right now. Check in on your friends you haven’t talked to in a while to simply see if they’re doing okay, or call Mom a couple of extra times if you know you won’t be seeing her for the holidays. And it doesn’t have to be virtual! The holiday season is the perfect time to send out handwritten cards to people.
Set A Daily Routine
One simple way to keep your days and weeks from running into one continuation of sitting on the couch hunkered over your computer, is to set a routine. Plan out your day, including breaks for meals, time for getting out for a walk or stretching, and if you need some extra motivation, even planning shower time. Try to include a fun task or two, whether it’s setting aside 20 minutes to read, cooking a new recipe, or even decorating your mantle for Christmas. Having tasks that we can check off gives us a sense of accomplishment.
Schedule Small Things to Look Forward To
In a time where we’re doing a whole lot of the same thing, we must create our own joy. Scheduling small things to look forward to is an easy way to create joy. Plan out an elaborate, homemade brunch for the weekend. Or schedule a themed activity, such as Christmas movies and baking, or “traveling around the world” by cooking a dish from a different country, and then enjoying it while watching a movie based in that place.
Changing things up from the same old same old will help put a new excitement into activities.
We hope that these tips will bring you a renewed energy to maintain a healthy mental space through these difficult times, and to focus on enjoying the little things in life. Happy holidays from Buzz Franchise Brands!