Mental health during the holidays

(KBSI) – With the hustle and bustle of the holidays it’s easy for your mental health to be put on the back burner.

The holidays can be joyful, but they can also be stressful, according to the national alliance on mental illness 3 out of 5 Americans say their mental health is negatively impacted over the holidays. 

Many people who already struggle with a mental illness say it gets significantly worse over the holidays.  

Assistant director of Arrowleaf’s behavior health division, Ashton Madsen explains why that is. 

“They have an increase in anxiety, ya know worry about coming home, are they going to be excepted when they come home, it’s just a lot of hustle and bustle and that’s hard on people.”

“There’s just so many what we call triggers that happen or that can happen around the holidays, and there’s a change in routine which is just historically difficult for people who struggle with any type of disorder”, Says Madsen.

Madsen says doing things like mentally preparing yourself for a situation, wearing comfortable clothes you feel good in, and bringing your own foods if you have issues with eating are all things that can help and … 

“Take breaks, you don’t owe anyone an explanation if you need to get up go and go hangout in the bathroom for a while or just to get some air. That’s fine too.” 

Black Friday sales bring financial strain and large crowds which can also be stressful. Here are a few things to keep in mind over the busy shopping period. 

“If you’re going into a store and people are kind of shoving and acting in ways that you don’t think is appropriate, remembering they’re not trying to hurt you and stepping out of that mind space really helps you to feel like you’re not going to escalate as well.” 

If you’re feeling down over the holidays remember to reach out toa friend or a mental health professional to talk about how you’re feeling.