Christmas may be a time of the year you look forward to since you enjoy connecting with loved ones and celebrating the festive season. Or it may be a time of year you find difficult, you feel obligated to socialize or an increase in feelings of loneliness. What the Christmas period brings will be different and personal to each.

From the Pro-Counselling team, we wanted to give different tips that each of us finds helpful and that perhaps you might too during Christmas, regardless of your feelings towards it.

1. Healthy habits go a long way for a healthy mind: start by drinking plenty of water all day and eating greens. We tend to forget that the mind and body are connected and form the same entity. When we poison our bodies with unhealthy substances, we poison our minds. – Maud

2. Make time for yourself: the festive season is a time to give to others and yourself. Give yourself permission to do things that bring you joy! – Lizzie

3. Be honest about your feelings: if you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed around people, try to be honest and say it to someone. Don’t be afraid to express how you feel or cancel plans if you are not feeling up to it. – Angela

4. Take some time to destress: if you are overworking yourself, make sure to take some time to take a breather and look after yourself. – Alex

5. Getting plenty of rest: try to get a good night’s sleep and keep yourself well rested. – Alex

6. Look for pockets of peace or happiness: rather than hoping to be peaceful or happy for the whole day, look for it. The pressure at Christmas time is huge, take some of the pressure off by giving space to emotion for achievable amounts of time, the day on the whole might be hectic, but you can look for a pocket of calm during your morning shower. Pockets of peace and calm are an easy win, especially at busier times of the year. – Emma

7. Don’t compare your celebration: don’t compare your Christmas celebration with the ideal representations of it or with what you see on social media. Enjoy your special time and don’t mind what others are doing or showing. – Angela

8. Think of the present, especially around uncertainty: At the moment we’re seeing what for many would feel as a repeat of 2020 with countries announcing new restrictions. This can be overwhelming for many, but focus on your present and the things that are going well with you now. With any new changes, reassess, breather, and get to action. – Rodrigo