The holidays can be stressful for anyone – whether it’s related to divorce, the stress of co-parenting, dividing your time, or the financial strain of gift-giving.  

While no one enjoys the stress and struggles of life, there are ways to find moments of peace and gratitude. During this time of year, it’s important to take care of your mental and physical health, below are a few tips on how to get started:

Practice Self-care

This means doing whatever makes you happy!  Take a long bubble bath, make your favorite meal, go for a run, buy more Christmas decorations, or lay on the couch and watch tv.  Do things that allow you to be kind to yourself and take a step back to enjoy life!

Make a Plan

Make a plan for the day of the holiday, even if that plan means you relax and do nothing at all! Having a holiday plan can help alleviate stress and allow you to focus your energy on what you are doing and if spending time with family or friends, the people who surround you. This also means less frustration as everyone is on the same page!

Don’t Compete

Nowadays, the holidays have turned into a time to gift the latest, greatest, and most expensive presents. That is enough to stress anyone out!  Instead of trying to compete with your neighbors, siblings, or ex-partner, focus on what is best for your family.  This could be a new family tradition or experience. 

Find Support

It’s important to find support.  For some people this is family, for others it’s friends, support can also be found in a therapist/counselor, or support group. Finding people that support you can provide a mental break from stress and ensure that loneliness is avoided.

Reflect

This time of year, whatever you’re going through, it can be helpful to think back and remember the struggles you’ve been through before.  It sounds counterintuitive but recalling these struggles and thinking about how it led you to where you are can help push you forward towards future-focused thoughts.  Even if you are not where you want to be now, you are closer to reaching the future, which is better than the past. 

If you are struggling this season due to a divorce or co-parenting matter, contact us at 402-548-5418 to make an appointment to talk about how we can help alleviate your stress!