Preparing for the holiday season

The holidays can be especially tough when you’re already carrying the weight of mental health challenges. While the world seems to buzz with celebration, it can feel like you’re just trying to hold it together. I’ve learned—sometimes the hard way—that preparing for this season means being intentional about protecting your energy and honoring your needs.

Here are a few things that have helped me, and might help you too:

• Give yourself permission to slow down. You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to do it perfectly.
• Prioritize what truly matters. Focus on the essentials—what brings you peace or meaning. If you get to the rest, great. If not, that’s okay too.
• Ask for help. Whether it’s emotional support or a hand with errands, reaching out is a strength, not a weakness.
• Make space for rest. Even small moments of quiet can be grounding.

When you are alone

And then there’s the loneliness. That ache can feel sharper during the holidays, especially when you’ve lost someone—through death, distance, or disconnection. Sometimes the hardest grief is for the people who are still alive but no longer present in your life. Maybe they couldn’t understand what you were going through. Maybe they chose to walk away. Either way, the absence is real, and it hurts.

If you’re facing the season alone, I want you to know this: your presence still matters. You are not forgotten. You are not invisible. And you deserve care—especially from yourself.

Here are a few gentle ways to nurture that care:

• Treat yourself to something small but meaningful. A cozy blanket, a favorite snack, a new book—whatever feels like a gift to your spirit.
• Get outside if you can. A walk in the park, by the water, or through a nature preserve can shift your energy in quiet, healing ways.
• See a movie. Many theaters offer early showings at a lower price, and some even screen concerts or plays.
• Make something just for you. Bake a dessert you love. Cook a dish you haven’t had in years. Or like I do, go to the store and buy a special treat.
• Volunteer. Being around animals or helping others can ease isolation and remind you that you’re part of something bigger.
• Create without judgment. Knit, paint, write, draw—whatever calls to you. It’s not about being “good,” it’s about expressing what’s inside.