With the days getting much colder and shorter, it is safe to say we are in December. As we come to the end of another year, we now also reach the festive period and the challenges that come with that.
Whilst this may be a time usually associated with spreading joy, spending time with family and generally just being merry it is also so important that we acknowledge the difficulties that many may experience during this time and offer any support that we can.
Over the coming weeks, this is something we will be discussing regularly on our social media, and our blog posts. Through reflecting on this raising awareness of many of these struggles that people may experience, and even providing helpful information about looking after ourselves and each other, we hope that we can make this month just that little bit easier…
As we are at the start of the month, we will start this month’s campaign of Festive-themed blog posts by talking about these challenges.
Something that we can experience throughout the year is ‘societal expectation’ which has only increased with the more regular use of social media. This can be especially heightened during the Festive period. For example, you may see other people presenting the image of a ‘perfect Christmas’, with elaborate decorations, expensive presents and even extravagant meals, and as such you may feel that if you can’t provide such a thing to the people around you, that you are letting them down. As such this can lead to a lot of anxiety around money, especially with the ongoing Cost of Living Crisis. The pressure from this can be incredibly overwhelming and often leads to people experiencing intense feelings of not being good enough or even isolation.
Additionally, during this time we can often feel pressure to spend time with people who for whatever reason we do not feel particularly comfortable being with, which again can lead to lots of stress, and anxiety and even perhaps bring up feelings of past trauma.
It can also be an incredibly lonely time.
Mind has spoken extensively about some of the challenges people may face throughout this month, and even included some powerful real-life experiences, which you can find here -> https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/christmas-and-mental-health/why-christmas-is-hard/
Here are some things that you can do to support your mental health during this time…
Put self-care first. This can be as simple as setting boundaries and making sure that they are both followed and respected. Such as avoiding situations/gatherings that you know may hurt your mental health or setting a limit on how much you can spend. Or even just maybe treating yourself a bit too! You deserve it.
Never be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s the people around you or one of the many Support Networks available, we are all here to help.
Practising Inclusivity - Christmas can often be a very isolating experience for many people who for whatever reason may not have someone to spend it with. Or maybe due to differing beliefs towards Christmas are feeling very left out. This is why practising inclusivity can be a wonderful thing!
Throughout the next month, we will continue posting helpful information to hopefully provide some support during this month!
Our next blog post will be all about this year's ‘The Longest Night Campaign’ run by the Staffordshire County Council which everyone can get involved in!
If you need support, please feel free to reach out to us today. We are here for you.
Let's get through this together.
Comments