Coping with a mental illness during the holiday season can be quite difficult. Here are a few tips to help you maintain your sanity in the midst of the madness.
Be prepared for stress. It is important to understand that there will be stressful situations. Make a list of situations that could possibly be difficult and ideas on how to cope with each one. Sometimes it may be necessary to try and avoid certain places or people. Enlist help to take care of holiday errands, plan ahead when you can and seek support for those times when you will need it.
Don’t overschedule yourself. Parties, parades, banquets and balls can quickly add up and overload your frazzled nerves. Choose the events that are important and skip the rest. It may be best to allow a day or two between events to unwind and relax before tackling the crowds again. If you know you will be uncomfortable in a situation, politely decline the invitation.
Pass up the holiday toasts. Alcohol may seem like a good way to “take the edge off”, but it can actually make matters worse. Clouding your judgment or losing your inhibitions creates an ideal situation for disaster. If you take prescription medication, it may interfere with its ability to work properly.
Have an exit strategy. Before you leave home, be prepared with an excuse to make a hasty exit. You never know when your stress levels will start to rise and it is important to get out before it becomes overwhelming. There will be times when the crowds are too big and the noise is too much. Be ready to walk away and regain your sanity before anxiety gets the best of you.
The holiday season is generally more stressful, but a mental illness can also make daily life difficult. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a mental illness, you can find more tips, tricks and information at
http://beingbipolar.today.com.
Coping with a mental illness during the holiday season can be quite difficult. Here are a few tips to help you maintain your sanity in the midst of the madness.
Be prepared for stress. It is important to understand that there will be stressful situations. Make a list of situations that could possibly be difficult and ideas on how to cope with each one. Sometimes it may be necessary to try and avoid certain places or people. Enlist help to take care of holiday errands, plan ahead when you can and seek support for those times when you will need it.
Don’t overschedule yourself. Parties, parades, banquets and balls can quickly add up and overload your frazzled nerves. Choose the events that are important and skip the rest. It may be best to allow a day or two between events to unwind and relax before tackling the crowds again. If you know you will be uncomfortable in a situation, politely decline the invitation.
Pass up the holiday toasts. Alcohol may seem like a good way to “take the edge off”, but it can actually make matters worse. Clouding your judgment or losing your inhibitions creates an ideal situation for disaster. If you take prescription medication, it may interfere with its ability to work properly.
Have an exit strategy. Before you leave home, be prepared with an excuse to make a hasty exit. You never know when your stress levels will start to rise and it is important to get out before it becomes overwhelming. There will be times when the crowds are too big and the noise is too much. Be ready to walk away and regain your sanity before anxiety gets the best of you.
The holiday season is generally more stressful, but a mental illness can also make daily life difficult. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a mental illness, you can find more tips, tricks and information at http://beingbipolar.today.com.