A guide to keeping happy and healthy at Christmas

Christmas should be a season of joy for all but getting into the festive spirit can be tough if you’re dealing with a lot. For this reason, looking after your mental health and wellbeing is essential and you should do your best to stay happy and healthy!

Here are a couple of things that could help you:

Talk about your feelings

Admitting that you don’t feel great in the run up to Christmas can be hard, especially if those around you seem happy and are looking forward to making lots of memories. But there’s no harm in talking to your friends and family about your feelings. Tell them what’s on your mind and don’t bottle your emotions up. Getting everything off your chest can improve your mood and the tough times will be easier to deal with. You may then feel up to doing things that make you happy.

Do something you enjoy

Have you got a favourite hobby? This could be anything you like to do in your spare time. If you had 10 minutes to spare, what would you choose to do? Christmas can be a busy time and it’s easy to sacrifice the things you enjoy doing to make time for your family and friends. But it’s also important to dedicate some of that time to yourself. For example, if you enjoy drawing or painting, you could use that passion and creativity to make gifts for those you love.

Ask for help

It’s often easier to tell everyone that you’re fine and convince yourself that you’re telling the truth, but it’s okay to ask for help! If things get a little too much over the coming weeks and you feel like you need someone to talk to, then reach out. You can always speak to someone you trust and can confide in.

Stay in touch with your friends and family

A simple text message, phone or video call conversation with a friend or relative is a great way of keeping in touch over the Christmas period. You can talk about anything and everything you want to get off your chest and they may even offer different views on what’s going on inside your life. You should also enjoy this time to catch up with them!

Enjoy the Christmas break

Last but by no means least, just try to enjoy the Christmas break! You’ve dedicated an entire year to learning and developing new life skills, so now it’s time to let your hair down and relax. Use this break to prepare for a fresh chapter in the new year.

For more support and advice on looking after your mental health and wellbeing, visit https://stmargaretward.co.uk/keeping-well