Five Tips to Support Your Mental Health During the Holiday Season

The holidays can be a time of togetherness, joy, and fun. It can also be a time of stress, loneliness, and anxiety that can take a significant toll on your mental health. If you find yourself stressed before or during this time of year, you’re not alone.

A recent American Heart Association (AHA) survey found that most people take weeks to de-stress after the holidays. Almost all respondents reported that they regretted not making time to rest or enjoy the season. Knowing the challenges during this time of year, you can proactively put in guardrails to protect your mental health. Let’s review some tools and skills that can help.

The Effects of Stress

We all know that stress isn’t something we want to feel all the time. While stress serves the purpose of keeping us alert and aware of potential dangers, too much stress is bad for our bodies and minds and can negatively impact our choices and actions. But how does stress affect us? The Mayo Clinic outlines how below.

Impact on our bodies	Impact on our minds	Impact on our actions
Headaches	Concentration problems	Angry outburst
Muscle pain	Anxiety	Substance abuse
Stomach issues	Memory issues	Over or undereating
Sleep problems	Depression	Isolation
Chest pain	Irritability	Exercising less
Fatigue	Feeling overwhelmed

1. Set Realistic Expectations

From dishes to events to outfits to gifts, there are a lot of expectations for this time of year. Often, we set unachievable goals and, therefore, set ourselves up for the disappointment that comes when those goals are not met.

It’s important to step back and ask if our expectations for ourselves and others are too high. Recipes may not turn out as they looked on Pinterest, children may not use their manners when grandparents are over, your house may not be immaculate, and you may be late to an event.

If you expect perfection, even small hiccups can feel like disasters. Setting realistic expectations is a game changer. It helps ease anticipation, reduces stress, and creates space to enjoy the season.

If you’re feeling pressure to meet every expectation, remember that CalVEBA offers mental health support to help you navigate life’s challenges. Learn more here.

2. Draw and Hold Boundaries – It’s Ok to Say No

Putting in place frameworks for what is ok and not ok for you is an essential to-do over the holidays. Boundaries help us maintain who we are, stop others from taking advantage of us, invigorate our relationships, give us space to respectfully speak our minds, and open us to empathize with others. Healthy boundaries over the holidays could look like this:

Not answering emails or work calls after hours or on your scheduled time off.
Saying no to invites when you want a quiet night at home.
Expressing discomfort to a relative who wants to talk about politics.
Politely asking others to respect your physical personal space.

When our boundaries aren’t respected, we often feel unsettled. Many people ignore that discomfort to avoid conflict. This year, challenge yourself to let others manage their own reactions. Respectfully expressing and maintaining your boundaries is essential to your mental well-being.

3. Balance Your Schedule

Calendars fill up quickly during the holidays — often overflowing. It may seem impossible to manage and curate your schedule. More than half of the people surveyed in the AHA study reported that they had trouble making time for healthy eating, exercising, and getting adequate sleep this time of year. But finding balance in your day and week can keep you on your holiday schedule while keeping your stress in check.

As you make a list of must-dos, be sure to include nutritious meals, exercise, sleep needs, and decompression time. Draw healthy boundaries around your time, knowing that you must show up for yourself before you can for others over the holidays. Block time on your calendar for self-care. Treat it like any other important commitment. You may not be able to make a 60-minute yoga class, but stretching at home for 15 minutes can be just as impactful. Five minutes of peace alone — wherever you can find it — can make a huge difference in your day.

Try CalVEBA’s virtual yoga, nutrition, and movement classes from wherever you are to help you recharge on your own schedule. Get started here.

4. Practice Mindfulness Regularly

Stress can sneak up on us. It might start with a few quick breaths and a clenched jaw, then escalate quickly. Tuning into your body throughout the day is an important step in managing your stress over the holidays. Meditation, yoga, journaling, and walking are all great ways to cultivate awareness of what’s going on with you. From that knowledge, you can practice breathing techniques, use a self-soothe kit, or other coping techniques to regulate yourself. Then, you can start to address what’s causing the stress.

5. Lean on Support

Help can be asking a coworker to assist with a project, a parent to watch your child for a few hours, or a friend to pick something up for you when they’re running errands. It can also be asking for someone to listen to you as you talk through something, company as you go for a walk, or someone simply holding space with you. Over the holidays this year, look to your family, friends, and coworkers for support and don’t forget to check in on others as well. Checking in with others can be a meaningful way to connect and support each other. You can also lean on the Resource Center. We offer programs and resources to help you live your healthiest life.

Looking for More Support?

The holidays can be a time of joy but also stress and anxiety. Prioritizing your mental health is essential to navigating this season with resilience.

As a CalVEBA member, you have access to:

Mental health care through CalVEBA and your medical plan
Virtual wellness classes including yoga, fitness, and meditation
Self-care toolkits focused on mental well-being, nutrition, and on-demand videos

Visit calveba.org/Resources/ to explore programs that support your total well-being.

Tips for Traveling With Diabetes

From Sharp Health News, a publication of Sharp HealthCare

Whether you believe it or not, there’s no denying it: The holidays are knocking at our door. For many of us, holidays include physical travel and variation from our everyday diet.

If you have diabetes, the change in routine during this time of year can be one of your biggest holiday challenges. Planning ahead can help you manage the holiday season and your diabetes.

While traveling, it’s important to:

Get any recommended immunizations and always carry or wear your medical information indicating that you are indeed diabetic.
Pack twice the amount of diabetes supplies you think you will need, in the event of emergencies or delays.
When flying, bring all of these supplies in your carry-on bag, and keep medications, snacks, meal replacements, and glucose gels or tablets at your seat for easy access. If a meal is served on the flight, be sure to call ahead to request a diabetic meal. If you take insulin, contact the manufacturer for any special instructions on the pressure change of the plane.

So, what about those holiday meals? Diabetes and the holidays can be successfully comanaged. Having diabetes should not deter you from enjoying the festivities and traditional foods.

Try these tips for enjoying the season:

Ask the host ahead of time what will be served and bring a healthy favorite side dish to share.
Fill at least half of your plate with colorful vegetables and choose those without sauces and dressing to keep sodium intake to a minimum.
Eat a small snack before you go to celebrations, so you don’t arrive hungry and to avoid overeating or poor food choices.
Stay active during the holidays. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity, five days per week, for a total of 150 minutes per week.

Finally, it’s important to focus on family, friends and activities instead of just the food. But with some preparation and planning, you can still celebrate with your favorite holiday dishes.

The VEBA Resource Center offers many Cooking & Nutrition Classes. Join us to learn how to blend the art of food and cooking with the science of medicine to optimize your overall health and wellness – all while having fun! Check out our calendar to sign up for an upcoming class.

Mantenerse en su plan de alimentación saludable durante las fiestas

Cuando planifica, puede tener una temporada festiva saludable y así alcanzar sus objetivos de peso saludable. Puede ayudarle si trata de no pensar en las vacaciones como un momento para renunciar a las cosas que disfruta. En su lugar, considérelo como un momento para darse algo que desea más: alcanzar su peso saludable.

Aquí encontraras algunas ideas que pueden ayudarlo a mantenerse en el camino y seguir siendo festivo.

Planifique con anticipación para evitar tentaciones

Desde mesas de buffet hasta platos de dulces, cada día festivo ofrece deliciosas razones para deslizarse. Estas estrategias pueden ayudarlo durante las vacaciones y después de ellas.

Tome un refrigerio saludable antes de ir.
¿Cuál es su snack saludable favorito? Las palomitas de maíz, la fruta fresca o las nueces son algunas ideas. Cuando se sienta lleno, es menos probable que coma en exceso más tarde.
Llevar un plato saludable.
¿Qué plato le hace sentir libre de culpa? El pescado a la parrilla, las verduras al vapor, el arroz integral o una ensalada de espinacas son buenas opciones. No solo tendrá una comida que le encanta en la mesa, sino que su anfitrión puede apreciar la contribución.
Guarde las segundas raciones para más tarde.
¿Esa porción extra no sabría igual de bien mañana? Se puede congelar un trozo de pastel o ese delicioso pavo. Es posible que lo disfrute aún más dentro de un mes, cuando las delicias navideñas no estén tan disponibles. Y tenerlo entonces puede recordarle lo bien que se cuidó.

¿Qué podría funcionar para ayudarlo a planificar con anticipación?

Crea tradiciones festivas nuevas y más saludables.

Inicie algunas tradiciones nuevas y saludables que no impliquen comer. Aquí hay algunos que podría probar:

Voluntariado con familiares y amigos.
¿Cuál es una causa que le interese? Los bancos de alimentos, los refugios de animales u otras organizaciones sin fines de lucro pueden usar su ayuda.
Únase a una caminata/carrera comunitaria.
¿Es esto algo que podría hacer en familia o con amigos? Caminar en grupo por una buena causa puede fortalecer el vínculo que tiene con los demás.
Hacer que el tiempo juntos cuente.
¿Qué haría para que una reunión sea más significativa? Jugar juegos, armar un rompecabezas o leer un libro favorito en voz alta son algunas cosas que puede hacer con un grupo de amigos o familiares.

Esas son solo algunas ideas. Tal vez lo ayuden a pensar en otras cosas para probar que podrían ser el comienzo de una tradición navideña más saludable.

Cuídese.

Antes de que lleguen los invitados o se dirija a las festividades, tómese un poco de tiempo para reagruparse, recargar energías y renovarse. Aquí hay algunas ideas que pueden ayudarlo a disfrutar las fiestas y a cumplir con su plan:

Coma conscientemente.
¿Cuál es la prisa? Coma despacio y pruebe cada bocado. Tómese el tiempo para comer con atención, pueda disfrutar de los regalos que son saludables los alimentos ofrecen a su cuerpo y mente.
Dormir hasta tarde.
¿Por qué no? Cuando duerma lo que necesita, tendrá la energía que necesita para mantenerse en su plan de alimentación saludable.
Ser amable con usted mismo.
¿Siente el estrés de las vacaciones? está bien desaparezca por unos minutos para sentarse, cierre los ojos y tome algunas respiraciones profundas. Cuando esté relajado, es posible que pueda manejar mejor las tensiones que podrían desviarlo.

¿Cómo puede hacer que esta temporada navideña sea una que pueda celebrar y sentirte bien?

Staying On Your Healthy-Eating Plan during the Holidays

When you plan ahead, you can have a healthy holiday season and still reach your healthy-weight goals. It can help if you try not to think of the holidays as a time to give up things you enjoy. Instead, think of it as a time to give yourself something you want more—to reach your healthy weight.

Here are some ideas that may help you stay on track and still be festive.

Plan ahead to avoid temptations.

From buffet tables to candy dishes, every holiday serves up tasty reasons to slip. These strategies may help you through the holidays and after.

Have a healthy snack before you go.
What’s your favorite healthy snack? Popcorn, fresh fruit, or nuts are a few ideas. When you feel full, you’re less likely to overeat later.
Bring a healthy dish.
What dish makes you feel guilt-free? Grilled fish, steamed vegetables, brown rice, or a spinach salad are good options. Not only would you have a food you love at the table, but your host may appreciate the contribution.
Save second helpings for later.
Wouldn’t that extra serving taste just as good tomorrow? A piece of cake or that delicious turkey can be frozen. You might enjoy it even more a month from now, when holiday treats aren’t so available. And having it then can remind you how well you took care of yourself.

What might work to help you plan ahead?

Create new, healthier holiday traditions.

Start some healthy new traditions that don’t involve eating. Here are some you could try:

Volunteer with family and friends.
What’s a cause that you care about? Food banks, animal shelters, or other nonprofit organizations can use your help.
Join a community walk/run.
Is this something you could do as a family or with friends? Walking as a group for a good cause can strengthen the bond you have with others.
Make the time together count.
What would make a gathering more meaningful? Playing games, putting a puzzle together, or reading a favorite book out loud are some things you can do with a group of friends or family.

Those are just a few ideas. Maybe they’ll help you think of other things to try that could be the start of a healthier holiday tradition.

Take care of yourself.

Before the guests arrive or you head out to the festivities, take a little time for yourself to regroup, recharge, and renew. Here are a few ideas that might help you enjoy the holidays and stay with your plan:

Eat mindfully.
What’s the rush? Eat slowly, and taste every bite. When you take the time to eat mindfully, you can enjoy the gifts that healthy foods offer to your body and mind.
Sleep in.
Why not? When you have the sleep you need, you will have the energy you need to stay on your healthy-eating plan.
Be kind to yourself.
Feeling the stress of the holidays? It’s okay to disappear for a few minutes to sit, close your eyes, and take in a few deep breaths. When you’re relaxed, you may be better able to handle the stresses that could get you off track.

How can you make this holiday season one that you can celebrate and feel good about?

Reducing Stress During the Holidays

The holidays are a busy time. They can demand extra attention for cooking, cleaning, party planning, hosting, and talking with family members we might not always agree with. It’s no wonder that stress during the holidays is common. By learning to reduce this stress, you might find that you enjoy the holidays more. These tips can help.

Keep up your healthy habits.
Get professional help if you need it. The holidays can be a big event. And stress leading up to them is common. Talking to a friend or family member may help. But you may also want to see a counselor before the holidays start. A counselor can help you change the way you handle stress.

Staying healthy is your best defense against holiday stress.
You can stay hydrated by bringing a water bottle with you to refill. Try eating a healthy snack before a party. If you don’t show up hungry, you’ll be less likely to fill up on sweets.

Practice gratitude.
Having gratitude means saying thank-you for what’s good in your life. There are many ways you can practice gratitude.
- Before meals, give thanks to those who grew it and cooked it. Give thanks even if that person was you.
- Remember the ways—good and bad—that others show you that they care. Choose to be positive.
- Keep it up. It may take awhile to catch on. But when it does, you might find that an attitude of gratitude spreads quickly.

Take time to unwind.
You might try taking deep breaths or going for a walk. Maybe you need time to yourself after being with family. Even a little break can make a big difference to reduce stress.

Make time for joy.
This could be baking, playing games, or volunteering in your community. Maybe take a plate of cookies to a neighbor. Do what feels right for you.

Share holiday tasks.
Let everyone help with shopping, cooking, cleaning, and event planning. If you really dislike doing dishes, help with cooking instead. Sharing tasks lets everyone be part of making the holidays special.

Reflect together.
Before you say goodbye, gather everyone to reflect. Go around the room. Let everyone share their favorite part of the holiday and what wasn’t so great. Brainstorm ways to make the “not so great” things more enjoyable next time.

Have realistic expectations.
No holiday gathering is perfect. Don’t let something like forgetting to defrost the turkey ruin the day. Be flexible, and let it become another holiday memory. View these experiences as chances to practice being resilient.

Cómo reducir el estrés durante las fiestas de fin de año

Las fiestas de fin de año son una época muy ajetreada. Pueden demandar atención adicional para cocinar, limpiar, planear fiestas, recibir invitados y hablar con familiares con quienes podríamos no siempre estar de acuerdo. No es sorpresa que estar estresado durante las fiestas sea algo común. Aprendiendo a reducir este estrés, usted podría encontrar que disfruta más de las fiestas. Estos consejos pueden ayudar.

Mantenga sus hábitos saludables.
Mantenerse saludable es su mejor defensa contra el estrés de las fiestas. Usted puede mantenerse hidratado llevando una botella de agua consigo para recargar. Pruebe a comer un refrigerio saludable antes de una fiesta. Si no va con hambre, es menos probable que se llene con dulces.
Practique la gratitud.
Tener gratitud significa decir gracias por lo que es bueno en su vida. Usted puede practicar la gratitud de muchas maneras.
- Antes de las comidas, dé gracias a aquellos que produjeron los alimentos y los cocinaron. Dé gracias incluso si esa persona es usted.
- Recuerde los modos —buenos y malos— en que otros le demuestran que se preocupan por usted. Opte por ser positivo.
- Continúe haciéndolo. Podría llevarle un tiempo para que sea automático. Pero cuando lo haga, usted encontrará que una actitud de gratitud se propaga rápidamente.
Tómese tiempo para relajarse.
Podría probar a respirar hondo o salir a caminar. Tal vez necesite tiempo para sí mismo después de estar con familiares. Incluso un descanso breve puede significar una gran diferencia para reducir el estrés.
Haga tiempo para cosas alegres.
Esto podría ser hornear cosas dulces, jugar con juegos o hacer tareas voluntarias en la comunidad. Podría llevarle un plato de galletitas dulces a un vecino. Haga lo que le parezca mejor.
Comparta las tareas de las fiestas.
Deje que todos ayuden con las compras, la cocina, la limpieza y la planificación de eventos. Si realmente detesta lavar los platos, en vez de eso, ayude a cocinar. Compartir tareas les permite a todos ser partícipes de hacer especiales las fiestas de fin de año.
Reflexionen juntos.
Antes de despedirse, reúnanse todos para reflexionar. Deje que cada uno hable. Deje que todos compartan su parte favorita de la celebración y lo que no estuvo tan bien. Piensen entre todos maneras de hacer que las cosas “que no estuvieron tan bien” sean más agradables la próxima vez.

Getting Through the Holidays, Mindfully

From Sharp Health News, a publication of Sharp HealthCare

Let’s face it: At this time of year, many of us feel overwhelmed and stressed out.

So, how do you cope? Try this next time:

Sit comfortably.
Focus your awareness on your breathing.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.
If your mind wanders, gently and with patience, bring your focus back to your breathing.
Try this for three to five minutes, and notice how you feel.

You’ve now practiced mindfulness. Mindfulness is the awareness of the present moment, approached with curiosity, openness and a willingness to be with what “is.”

Mindfulness has several benefits, including:

Helps you reduce stress
Aids in reducing chronic physical pain
Boosts the body’s immune system to help fight disease
Assists you in coping with painful life events, such as the death of a loved one or a major illness
Helps you deal with negative emotions like anger, fear and anxiety
Improves your attention and concentration
Opens up the gateway for positive emotions, including happiness and compassion

This kind of practice can help center you in the midst of a stressful day, heavy workload and the holidays. You can go back to whatever needs to be accomplished feeling refreshed and renewed – and it only takes a few minutes.

The VEBA Resource Center offers Midday Mindfulness Refresh Classes. Mindfulness is an everyday practice you can do to improve your overall quality of life and sense of well-being. In this class, you will explore mindfulness of the body, breath, emotions and the heart. Check out our calendar to sign up for an upcoming class.

Disfrutar de Los Días Festivos de Invierno, Conscientemente

Por parte de Sharp Health News, una publicación de Sharp HealthCare

Seamos realistas: en esta época del año, muchos de nosotros nos sentimos abrumados y estresados. Y si agregamos la pandemia de COVID-19 a la mezcla, el estrés se multiplica.

Entonces, ¿cómo se las arregla? Pruebe esto la próxima vez:

Siéntese cómodamente.
Concéntrese en su respiración.
Respire. Exhale. Repetir.
Si su mente divaga, suavemente y con paciencia, vuelva a concentrarse en su respiración.
Pruebe esto durante tres a cinco minutos y observe cómo se siente.

Con estos pasos usted ha practicado la atención plena (Mindfulness). Mindfulness es la conciencia del momento presente, abordado con curiosidad, amplitud y voluntad de estar con lo que “es”.

Mindfulness tiene varios beneficios, que incluyen:

Le ayuda a reducir el estrés
Ayuda a reducir el dolor crónico
Estimula el sistema inmunológico del cuerpo para ayudar a combatir las enfermedades.
Le ayuda a sobrellevar los eventos dolorosos de la vida, como la muerte de un ser querido o una enfermedad grave.
Le ayuda a lidiar con emociones negativas como la ira, el miedo y la ansiedad.
Mejora su atención y concentración
Abre la puerta a las emociones positivas, incluyendo la felicidad y la compasión.

Este tipo de práctica puede ayudarlo a concentrarse en un día estresante, carga de trabajo y en los días festivos. Puede volver a sus actividades sintiéndose renovado, y solo le llevará unos minutos.

VEBA Resource Center ofrece clases Mindfulness al Mediodía. La atención plena es una práctica diaria que puede realizar para mejorar su calidad de vida en general y su bienestar. En esta clase, explorará la atención plena del cuerpo, la respiración, las emociones y el corazón. Consulte nuestro calendario para inscribirse a una clase.