November Mental Health Check

on November 28, 2022

It’s mental health check time, and the holidays are here. For some people that idea brings feelings of joy, for others it brings a shitload of stress. So let’s talk about how you can make it through the holidays without losing your fucking mind before, during, or after.

BEFORE

Check your expectations. We’ve talked about this before. Don’t build yourself up with an idea of something you think could happen… nothing will ever be perfect. Plan for that.
- Another thing to keep in mind is maybe taking a roll call of people you anticipate being at whatever function you’re going to be at, I feel like this helps me with setting expectations.

Make sure you’re putting yourself in a good headspace. If the day is going to be challenging, you want to bring your A game. If you aren’t feeling up to the event, cancel. No sense in fucking yourself over when you’re already having a rough mental health day.
- I’ve done this a multitude of times with my family towards the end of our relationship. If I wasn’t in a good mood that day, I wasn’t going, because every time I’d be around them it was mentally taxing and made me irritable.
Keep in mind your assumptions about any given event. Remember, that cliche saying, to assume makes an ass out of u and me. I know it sounds fucking stupid, but it’s true.
- Assumptions and expectations often times lead to resentments. If it’s possible, go into these events with as clear a mind as you can muster and try to focus on having a splendid time.
We’ve found that when we can keep these things in check about anything, really, and focus on the positive, the outcome is more likely to be positive.
- If you’re heading into something thinking it’s going to be a sack of shit, it probably will be. It’s a lot easier to find the negatives in anything if you go into it thinking negatively.

DURING

Watch your mouth. And I don’t mean don’t swear. Make sure you don’t pop off with something that can make your already annoying afternoon suck even more, like when you make a comment that pisses off everyone else at the table.
- More than likely, you know the people that are going to disagree with you or be offended by one thing or another. We aren’t saying don’t speak your mind. But there is something to picking and choosing your battles. If it isn’t going to result in an actual conversation and active listening versus a persuasion contest, it probably is not worth your breath. That’s ultimately the point we’re trying to make with that one.

Seek out the people you DO like. Even I don’t hate my ENTIRE family. I’d go chill with my sister’s kids, or my brother’s kids and widow. Your sibling got an asshole partner? Stay on the other side of the house and eat at the kids table if you gotta.
If you find that it’s becoming too much, I will try to excuse myself for about 5 minutes, sometimes I’ll just go find a quiet place and do some breathing exercises. Or even a quick 5 minute meditation to re-center myself. That usually does the trick

AFTER