Be sure to give yourself the gift of kindness this festive season
For many people December is a time filled with joy, and opportunities to spend time with friends and loved ones. But it’s also important to take a moment and consider that for some of us it can be a lonely and sometimes stressful period.
It’s a time of year that often puts extra pressure on us, and can affect our mental health in lots of different ways. Whether it’s the financial strain that accompanies gift buying, the cold and dark winter nights, or spending Christmas alone, there can be a number of triggers for mental health problems during the holiday season.
This year, as we enter the festive season, take time to pause and remember to look after your own mental health and wellbeing. Here’s a few tips from our community support team to help you through:
Sleep – getting enough high quality sleep is important to help us stay well and has a positive impact on mental health. Over the festive period, lots of us find that our sleep patterns become disrupted. We may stay up later than usual, and don’t always catch up on the sleep that we’ve missed. So if possible, try and head to bed at your usual time every night.
Exercise – Physical wellbeing has a positive impact on our mental health. We know it can be difficult to motivate yourself to exercise in the winter when it’s cold and gets dark early, but you don’t even need to leave the house if you don’t want to. Why not put on some festive tunes and have a dance or sing along to some carols.
Relax – Regardless of what’s happening, it’s ok for you to take time out. You know yourself best, so if you need to, make sure you spend some time relaxing. Some people find mindfulness useful when things are getting stressful, while others prefer to exercise, watch a film or spend time on a hobby.
Food – We all look forward to great food at this time of year, but it’s easy to overindulge on treats. Maintaining a healthy balanced diet will benefit your physical and mental health.
Alcohol – Although alcohol can initially make you feel more relaxed, it’s important to remember that drinking too much has negative effects on our physical and mental wellbeing. Staying within recommended limits will also mean you’re much less likely to end up with a hangover!
It’s important to recognise that if you’re struggling over the festive period, you are not alone. There are many support groups and helplines available. If you are finding things difficult, reach out and ask for help.
If you are concerned that you are developing a mental health problem you should seek the advice and support of your GP.
If you are in distress and need immediate help and are unable to see a GP, you should visit your local A&E.
Here are some useful contact details for support groups and helplines:
NHS For support dealing with a mental health crisis, or emergency, telephone 111 or go online seek the advice and support of your GP
Samaritans Telephone: 116 123 (24 hours a day, free to call) or go to the website Samaritans
Mind Telephone: 0300 123 3393 (9am-6pm Monday to Friday) or go to the website Mind
ChildLine Telephone: 0800 1111 or go to the website ChildLine