It has been a while friends! School, SATs, & splendid nights back at home with my family have been keeping me busy! As we tuck into a holiday season which will end what has been the craziest and most eye opening year of my life, mental health is an important thing to check into. Ask yourself how you are really doing and ways you can make yourself relieved of stress, anxiety, and doubts.
Stress has been something very present in our lives this year. Uncertainty as well. With a year where everything has diverged from our plan, we witnessed first hand how our entire life can flip around in the matter of days.
Why I decided to write this article in the first place was to see if anyone related to me on the fact that at family get togethers for the holidays, small phrases that are brought up can be a total mood switch/trigger.
I remember hearing certain things like, “Hey, do you really need that extra piece of pie?” or “Wowww, you’ve lost weight” or “Yeah, I think after this year you really need to get back into things girl”. Yeah it happens. Yeah it hurts. And yeah, it kind of makes you want to just walk out the door and be by yourself. But you end up collecting your emotions, bottling them into a jar, and force a smile as you surrender the small piece of pie that has made you want to cancel Thanksgiving.
For people who experience this during the holiday season you are not alone! Doesn’t it especially suck when they claim to “want what’s best for you”?? Girl, I felt that!
I know from personal experiences that I would want advice on how to get through these triggering conversations I can’t seem to shake. So, I put together a short list of things we can all try this season to shake off the passive aggressive energy of our relatives and friends and have ourselves a damn good time! Because at the end of the day, happy=healthy.
HOW TO: Keep your mental health in check this holiday season
1) Take a deep breath and refine your response
Yes, Karen I AM going to eat all of this food that I have served myself! And what about it! No I am kidding…don’t say that…however, compose your emotions, close your eyelids for two seconds and then question your questioner. If they ramble on asking you about college or your weight or your job, respond back with “why are you so intrigued?” “where is this conversation going?” “Let’s talk about…” “What makes you say that”. Allowing yourself to move past the comments will make you seem more confident and that will gleam through.
2) Wear an amazing outfit !! (IT Works!)
Now, I know this may seem silly but hear me out. At least for me, when I know that I am going to be greeted with relatives full of questions and comments, I need at least one good thing going for me. This is where the outfit kicks in. Showing up looking your best and knowing you look beautiful can act as a consistent reminder throughout the day when you need it. Simply excuse yourself, find a mirror, and force a smile in your stunning white sweater and jeans or cherry red dress. Looking the part is a halfway step!
3) Internal Affirmations
Sometimes, if we need to let loose in the middle of an event we can do mind affirmations. Repeat the fact that you are beautiful and no one can tell you otherwise. You are strong and accomplished and have done many remarkable things in your life. Who are these people to judge? Fake it til you make it. When we add this boost of self-worth, small comments will appear smaller and you’ll soon realize they don’t affect you as much anymore.
And lastly, this is a safe space if you are feeling swamped during these times. We are all going through it! Mental health is very important to check upon and I cannot stress this enough, put yourself first every now and then, and you will realize how happier you are.
Please reach out if you need someone to talk to and I am always here!
Thank you for reading!
Peace & Good Vibes,
Maya ❤
takemetocloud9.blog 