The nitty gritty truth about the holiday season is this: parents are really the magic behind the scenes. It doesn’t matter what holidays your family celebrates, across the board, mom and dad are filling their children’s eyes with all that seemingly never-ending sparkle.
We do it as a labor of love. We do it because it brings us joy. But we can all probably agree that creating all that fairy dust is exhausting.
Now, we could sit here and suggest that you take it easy on yourself, don’t go overboard, yada yada yada…but we know the truth. There is no amount of hard work in the world that would stop parents from being the magic of the holiday season year after year. When their sweet faces light up, our hearts explode.
Practical Ways to Care For Your Mental Health and Not Burnout This Holiday Season
Instead of telling you to put your holiday traditions on pause, we want to share a few practical ways to make sure your mental health is being care for this season.
Reading
“But when will I find the time?” is what you are probably thinking, and we get that. However, even just making time for reading 10 minutes before you go to bed will make a huge difference in your stress levels. In fact, the National Alliance on Mental Illness shared that, “reading can even relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%.”
We will be launching our very own Dr. Noze Best Book Club in 2023 - Fill out this quick form to be included!
Knowing when to say “no”
It’s funny, because toddlers totally get it and say “no” to as much as they possibly can. As we get older, especially around the holidays, we are more inclined to say “yes” to everyone and every opportunity that comes our way. We don’t want to miss out or to let anyone down, but also know that it’s okay to take a pass on things that just won’t work for you or your family’s schedules.
Play music while you wash dishes, clean, wrap gifts, and more!
Harvard Medical School shares that music helps to boost not only our mood, but our mental well-being. It can help soothe us to better sleep with a soft playlist, connect us with others during live music events, and help motivate us to exercise or do the chores we might not be so excited about doing.
Move your body
Exercise of any kind is good for your body, spirit, and soul. New research from The Global Health and Fitness Association says that, “physical activity and regular exercise impact more than just our bodies. It contributes to mental wellness and boosts the hormones in your body that make you feel content, satisfied, and happy.”
We know that it can be hard to get your body moving, especially as the weather gets colder, but once you do, the energy and happiness boost is worth its weight in gold!
Invest your time in meaningful social connections
We can’t stress this one enough. Human interaction is so important, but there is such a pressure during the holiday season to participate in every single event. Choose to attend the holiday gatherings that fill your heart with joy, you feel the most connected to, and will keep you in the presence of people who build you up.
If you enjoyed this post, you will also love:
We wish you a very happy holiday season and hope that you take pause in your everyday life to do things for yourself, make your mental health a priority, and avoid burnout.
The Nozebot is a battery-powered suction device designed to clear nasal congestion in babies and children.
