Take time this season to remember your mental health. The following days can be stressful for many people who already feel overwhelmed by responsibilities and commitments.
To make the holidays happier and healthier, United Behavioral Health, a managed behavioral health organization, offers the following advice.
- Set realistic expectations.
- Prioritize. Take time to plan in advance what you want to accomplish. Include deadlines for buying or making gifts and mailing packages.
- Don't be afraid to say "No." You don't have to accept every invitation, do it all or prepare it all.
- Set a budget and stay within it. The tendency to overspend during the holidays can lead to year-round troubles.
- Slow down your pace for eating, drinking and driving. Leave time in your schedule for the unexpected.
- Sleep. Try to keep children's schedules close to normal and try to get enough rest yourself.
- Delight in the sights, sounds and smells of the season. Relax, play, enjoy.