by Yvonne S.
Holidays use to be very hard for me but over the last 20 years that has changed. Several Wellness Tools help – as does having my own traditions that are not connected to painful memories. In my case, holidays with my family were not a joyful time. At some point I started to recognize what the holidays meant for me, rather than simply adapting the beliefs of others and learned how to get through them as my best self.
Following are a list of Wellness Tools that help me through the holiday season:
Delivering meals on wheels to seniors or AIDS organization
Volunteering to serve for homeless people or those in shelters
Volunteering to ring the Salvation Army kettle
Working in a angel tree Salvation Army Santa workshop
Day of service activities
Have vitamin D levels checked
Getting a flu shot
Sending holiday emails or cards
Reviewing donation requests and giving what I can
Asking other to give to a charity instead of spending on a holiday gift
Selling or donating unwanted household and personal items
Attending holiday concerts and sing-a-longs
Making plans to be with others for a holiday meal
Reflecting on the positives from the past year – which can include looking at pics & diary notations
Sunshine and walking
Going to holiday parades and inviting others
Going to community tree lighting ceremonies or menorah
Learning traditions from others
Mindfulness and meditation via smart phone/tablet, or index cards
Video conference using Facebook or Google Hangouts for Peer Support
Listening to holiday music
Reading stories to children
Relieving gift-giving money anxieties by creating gift certificates: Offering to watch a child (2-4 hours), certificates of massage, certificate for breakfast in bed, etc.
Making pastries, jams and jellies as for gifts
Using duo lingo on computer or smart phone to learn a language
Setting time limits when visiting others who may be toxic but cannot avoid at a gathering
Deep cleaning your home – The end of the year is an excellent time to purge clutter and donate or sell
Attending yoga classes
Completing my Daily Maintenance list
Getting a haircut, pedicure or manicure
Soaking in an Epsom salt bath for 20 minutes
Planning out my schedule in advance to allow time for all the season brings
Holidays are now great times for me because I now share them with others. It had been worse for me when I spent them alone in negative anticipation of what was to come. Holidays of my past had hurt me and until I used my Wellness Toolbox to help make them my own, I was not able to look beyond prior holiday traditions that got in the way of my enjoyment. I now have an array of holiday tools to choose from, but have to be mindful of keeping to the Wellness Tools I rely on daily.
Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, developed Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) with a group of people with lived experience who were attending a mental health recovery workshop in 1997. She is the original author of the WRAP Red Book, as well as dozens of other WRAP books and materials. She has dedicated the last 30 years of her life to learning from people who have mental health issues; discovering the simple, safe, non-invasive ways they get well, stay well, and move forward in their lives; and then sharing what she has learned with others through keynote addresses, trainings, and the development of books, curriculums, and other resources. Now that she is retired, and that, as she intended, others are continuing to share what she has learned, she continues to learn from those who have mental health issues and those who support them. She is a frequent contributor to this site.
