Tips, Techniques and Resources to Have a Happy Wisconsin Holiday Season

How to Manage Mental Health During the Holiday Season

By Mary Zamost, quality care coordinator at Network Health
12/16/2022

With celebratory lights, music and food, the holiday season from December into January is meant to be a time of joy. But the holidays aren’t a happy time for everyone. For many, this is a time of stress and declining mental wellness that can make it difficult to enjoy the season.

There are many possible reasons for this, and therefore, many possible solutions. We will explore some of those here as we seek to help you manage your mental health during the holiday season. That said, remember that nothing can take the place of discussing these issues with your personal doctor and potentially seeking further help through a licensed therapist.

How Holidays Affect Mental Health

The holidays can take a toll on your mental health for numerous reasons, including the following.

• Financial pressure from gift-giving
• Lack of personal time
• Hecticness of travel
• Spending the holidays alone
• Missing loved ones who have passed away
• Seasonal weather changes

The way in which the holiday season impacts your mental wellness is personal to you. While some people enjoy buying gifts, others find it stressful and may see it as a financial burden. While some people feel energized by family gatherings, others may find them draining. Moreover, you may be struggling through the loss of a family member or friend, which can make it particularly difficult to enjoy the holiday season when you want to spend it with those who mean the most to you.

Why Do You Get Sad Around the Holidays?

If you are someone who struggles with their mental health during the holiday season, you will first want to consider what might trigger these feelings. Before you can start tackling the problem, you should have a solid understanding of what impacts your mental wellness the most this time of year.

Furthermore, the term “mental health” can be a catch-all term for a variety of feelings and/or conditions. Whether the holidays make you sad, stressed, anxious or all of the above, it’s helpful to understand the exact feelings you are experiencing before finding ways to manage those feelings. This can also help you understand whether your feelings are tied to depression, anxiety or any another diagnosed mental or behavioral health disorder.

How to Deal With Holiday Depression

Below are some general tips for dealing with stress or depression around the holidays. Again, the effectiveness of these suggestions will depend on what causes the feelings you are experiencing, so pick the ones that work best for you.

1. Get help. Your personal doctor is your go-to resource when it comes to mental health struggles, whether during the holiday season or any other time of year. You can also discuss this with a reliable family member or friend so that you have someone close by for support.
2. Set boundaries. Maybe it means letting someone else host the family gathering this year, or maybe it means cutting back on gift giving. Either way, setting boundaries and sticking to them can create a more relaxed holiday season.
3. Stay healthy. From big meals to delicious snacks and goodies, there is usually no shortage of opportunities for unhealthy eating this time of year. While some indulgence is fine, try not to overdo it. Eating well and sticking to an exercise plan can help you feel well too.

[Read more: How to Avoid Stress Eating Around the Holidays]

4. Start a new tradition. Not everyone enjoys the holiday season, and if this is you, it can make the cold and snow of winter particularly miserable. Find something to look forward to when winter rolls around by starting a new tradition just for you. This could be something as small as trying the new holiday drinks at your local coffee shops or something as big as spending time volunteering.
5. Remember loved ones who have passed. One way of starting a new tradition is by including a remembrance of loved ones who may have passed away. Talk with your family members about taking time at your holiday gatherings to remember the life of those you have lost. It’s a great way to share your emotions with each other and including the memory of your loved ones in your holiday traditions.
6. Stick to a budget. Spending more money than you feel comfortable with on gifts can result in financial stress. It’s OK to set a strict budget. To help you save, you might consider homemade gifts this year.

Remember that only you, your personal doctor and a licensed therapist can truly devise an individualized plan to help you battle these struggles. While we provide guidance, not all the coping tactics above may work for you. Additionally, your personal doctor may find that prescription medication is needed to help you fully manage your mental health.

How to Help Kids With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Around the Holidays

Those who have children diagnosed with ADHD may have an additional challenge during the holidays, and the mental health of your kids shouldn’t be ignored either. Below are tips that may assist in making the holidays special for kids with ADHD and for the whole family. If you struggle with ADHD as an adult, some of these tips may also help you cope with holiday stressors.

• Make sure activities are planned and known in advance
• Be clear about expected behaviors
• Stick to routines as much as possible– especially bedtimes and downtimes
• Include family members for support of routines and behavior expectations
• Acknowledge and praise good behavior

You may also wonder if it's a good idea to have your child take a break from their ADHD medication while they are out of school.  Doctors call this a “structured treatment interruption,” though you may have heard it referred to as a “drug holiday.”  Either way, any change having to do with ADHD medication should always be done under the supervision of your child's doctor.

No matter how you plan your holidays, the key is to PLAN. Give your child opportunities during the holidays to come up with or share in planning activities or traditions. This can include helping to plan a meal, decorate or plan family activities. Structure will help reduce stressful situations and set your family up for an enjoyable holiday season.

Wisconsin Mental Health Resources

Now, sometimes self-care isn’t enough, and you need some help to get by. The suggestions above may not be sufficient. That’s OK. Thankfully, residents throughout our service area in Wisconsin have plenty of options. Here are some of them.

Psychiatric emergency department with around the clock care every day of the year for all ages.

1525 N. 12^th St.
Milwaukee, WI 53205
414-966-3030

Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division Access Clinics
Helping uninsured Milwaukee County residents by providing mental health medications, assessments and therapy referrals.

Access Clinic South
1635 W. National Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53204
414-257-7900

Access Clinic East
210 W. Capitol Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53212
414-257-7665

Offers information and referrals for support groups, advocacy services and other resources.

Milwaukee Program Offices
1915 N. Doctor M.L.K Jr. Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53212
414-344-0447

Waukesha Program Offices
217 Wisconsin Ave., Ste. 300
Waukesha, WI 53186
262-524-8886

Northeast Wisconsin Mental Health Resources

Serving Brown, Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago Counties with mental health resources and service information.

Offers information and referrals for support groups, advocacy services and other resources. There is also a Fox Valley branch in Appleton.

525 N. Main St.
Oshkosh, WI 54903
920-651-1148

211 E. Franklin St.
Appleton, WI 54911
920-954-1550

In addition to other services, N.E.W. Community Clinic offers behavioral health care services, including to those who are uninsured or underinsured.

610 N. Broadway
Green Bay, WI 54303
920-437-7206

[Read more: Holiday Stress Can Increase Chances of Catastrophic Health Events]

Don’t let the stress of the holidays get you down. Use the techniques and resources above to help manage your mental health during this hectic season, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to get outside help from friends, family and your personal doctor. Of course, we are always here to help you navigate your health plan options as well, so give us a call at Network Health.