Supporting Your Mental Health Through Winter

These darker months can be hard on your mental health. It might be the shorter days. The wet climate doing it’s best to keep everything well watered (ha!). The seeming non-stop kids’ activities or the hum of repetition each day. And then there’s the overwhelm of all the holiday needs as the cherry on top! Even writing all of that, I feel myself a little overwhelmed and anxious. There are ways to support your mental health through winter, though…

You can cultivate resilience through different practices.

I want to encourage you to notice a few small but significant things. As you bring attention to these parts, my hope is that you’ll feel a little relief or hope. Specifically, let’s look at how the holidays (and the weeks leading up) can be a time where anxiety, relationships, past trauma and other really hard things pop up.

Everyone anticipates, responds and reacts in different ways when it comes to holidays…or really, any social or family gatherings. You may chalk it up to a dysfunctional family (everyone has a little dysfunction in there somewhere!) or the pressure that these occasions bring. You wish you could enjoy these times the way social media portrays them, or at the very least with a little positive anticipation. Remember, social media is the highlight reel…not the real life reel. You might want to consider removing some apps from your phone for the next little while.

Give yourself a break from not only the brain drain but also the comparison game, felt need to keep up, look your best, and even the escapism effect social media can have. Alternatively, give yourself just a few minutes at the end of the day to check social media. Be specific with your times. You can stay in the social loop without getting too drawn in. Studies report the adverse effect of social media positive mental health, so you want to minimize this when possible. You can help reduce your anxiety, sense of overwhelm, depression and other struggles, by reducing screen time.

I often suggest to my counselling clients to go for a walk even around the block, this can shift anxiety or depression.

Your social anxiety might lead you to be overly aware of others’ actions (and how they make you feel). Reminding yourself that healthy boundaries may mean that others won’t share as much with you as you may want, can be helpful.

Boundaries give freedom and might be just what you need in this season.

You can communicate with your partner about what you need in these moments. If you’re starting into an anxiety spiral in the middle of a social of family event, grounding yourself may help you detach from how you believe others perceive you. When you are less concerned about others’ perception, you will find you enjoy yourself more.

Here’s a quick grounding practice…

Look around the space you’re in and find five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can taste and one thing you can smell. Notice as many details about each sense as possible.  This will give your system a moment to return to the present, and deal with some of the stresses you are feeling.

If you’re struggling to navigate this season, I invite you to reach out. Connecting in-person or online with a counsellor can shift your perspective. Perhaps there are some relationship issues you’re really anxiety about over the coming months as parties increase. You might feel alone in your parenting and all of the expectations. These are great places to start with a counsellor.