Austin therapist shares advice on maintaining mental health during holiday season

AUSTIN, Texas - The holidays can swirl up some mixed feelings. For some, it's a joyous time, but for others, there are mental hurdles to overcome. 

Vanessa Newton, a licensed therapist with Colors of Austin Counseling, explores why mental health issues tend to increase during the holiday season.

"We think about the holidays, we think there's so much pressure to attend the events, spend it with family, buy the gifts, you know, and do all the things and be out and social and active," said Newton. "And so many of us already are struggling with something that adding that pressure just creates more overwhelm, more anxiety and more I think that tension in our bodies, too, to feel like we have to do everything."

Many of us exhaust ourselves by showing up for others, and we forget about ourselves, and Newton says that masking our emotions and pretending to be okay only makes things harder.

"There's not a lot that's in our control, but what is in our control is our ability to pay attention to our bodies and what it's telling us to notice, you know, am I feeling the anxiety in my stomach? Am I having a hard time sleeping? Am I over functioning and overworking myself as a way to avoid or numb what's going on?" Newton said.

READ MORE

• When does winter really start? It depends on who you ask
• When should I throw out my Thanksgiving leftovers?
• Bastrop's River of Lights event marks start of holiday season

After you notice the issue, set some boundaries, Newton advises.

"If that means that I'm going to spend a holiday with you. But I don't want to be there all day because that's going to really wear me out. And so, you know, really putting yourself first and having the audacity to say no to things and say yes to yourself," she said.

To create healthy habits, Newton suggests finding an outlet - whether that's working out, journaling, or simply taking a moment to breathe.

"We're afraid to ask for help because we're afraid that that might look like a sign of weakness. Or we're afraid that we're not going to get the help we need, or that maybe it means something bad about us that we can't handle what life is throwing our way," Newton said.

However, there's one major contributor to healing.

"Community is huge. And sometimes just asking the question, the hard question, it gives other people permission to ask for that support and to share and to open up," she said.