As quickly as the year has come to its final month, and the first semester of the school year has come to its close, December – the month of all things festive – has arrived!
Among all the excitement, festivities and family time that often comes with the month of December, I want to reel back and touch on why it’s important to realize our capacities and why it’s okay to sit out of one, or four, events if you need to.
As the precipitation increases, so does the pressure of having the perfect holiday season. There are a million different holiday themed activities in and around most cities, family is starting to become *annoyingly* involved with creating plans, and the shopping list just seems to be getting longer. As most of our social media feeds and conversations start to be filled with which event you’ll be attending, which dress you’ll be out-doing your cousins in, and who’s boyfriend has the best date night planned involving christmas lights, matching pajamas and hot cocoa, it’s totally justified to be feeling overwhelmed.
The holidays bring cheer, but they also bring financial burdens, stress and sadness – and not to mention the impacts of S.A.D (seasonal affective disorder) are at its peak! We have no problem talking about mental health every year with #BellLetsTalk, so let’s keep the conversation open during one of the hardest times of year.
If you’re experiencing the holidays far from home, if you will be opening presents for the first time without a loved one (losses, breakups or whatever else), or you just don’t have the energy or motivation to go out and do the ‘trendy’ things, IT’S OKAY. It’s okay to dissociate for a bit, it’s okay to be sad during the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ and it’s okay to not participate in any of it.
Take a step back, find some ‘you’ time during the chaos and be honest with yourself and others with your limits.
This may be something as small as taking a much needed self-care night filled with face masks, baths, and some cheesy rom-com holiday flicks. Or it might even be something as drastic as sitting out on one of the eight family dinners you have to attend to instead catch up on rest and take in some quiet time.
Every person has a limit with how much “holiday” they want to invest in, so be conscious of your friends being shy about buying presents, your S.O’s annoyance during the tenth replay of ‘Santa Baby’ and your parents’ escape upstairs during family brunch.