The Impact of the Holidays on the Mind, Body, and Spirit
There is a connection between the mind, body, and spirit, and when one becomes imbalanced the other two can easily get off track. The holidays tend to be a catalyst for bringing out the best and the worst of us. Whether you are team cheer, team humbug, or a mixture of both, recognition of the mind, body, and spirit imbalance is important.
As we experience the holidays, we may start to feel a sense of isolation and loneliness. We may experience illness which keeps us from participating in gatherings that we typically would enjoy. For some of us, we recognize that the loved ones we would spend our holidays with may have passed away and we are grieving the loss. Financial concerns might be keeping us from experiencing the holiday we had envisioned for ourselves, or we may begin to feel remorse for the amount of money we have spent. Reminders of past negative experiences that tend to come up around the holiday season may also be filtering into our consciousness. The term that has been given to these feelings is “holiday blues.” Though “holiday blues” consist of dread and sadness it is not necessarily clinical depression.
Due to the mental strain that we might experience during the holidays our mind connection becomes off kilter. What can we do to help get ourselves back on track?
Start with grace for what is.
Recognize that you are not alone in your experience. Others are struggling too. We put unrealistic expectations on ourselves, and we do not have to live up to these grandiose ideals.
Schedule in some time for yourself and fulfill some of your needs.
Spend some time with your thoughts without distraction and see if what you are feeling is more than just “holiday blue.”
It may be helpful to speak with someone about how you’re feeling. An outside perspective can help you gain the balance you are craving.
At Harper Therapy we have trained clinicians that can help you find the balance. Call Harper Therapy at 813-434-3639 today!
https://www.harpertherapy.com/
