Coping Tips and Strategies for Managing Anxiety During the Holidays

While we may love the holidays as a time of gathering, sharing, fellowship, and family, the holidays can also prove quite stressful! Here are a few tips to help you along the way. If you'd like more information, just reach out to us and we'll be glad to help.

To manage anxiety, try these quick tips:

• Use a breathing exercise:

  • Intentionally relax your shoulders (drop the shoulders) and your neck, chest area

  • Take a deep breath to release tension

  • Use box breathing to control something for 30-60 seconds:

    • Breathe in for 4 counts

    • Hold for 4 counts

    • Release for 4 counts

    • Wait for 4 counts

      
      

• If needing grounding, try the 5,4,3,2,1 strategy:

  • Name 5 things you see,

  • 4 things you can touch and use one word to describe the item,

  • 3 things you can hear,

  • 2 things you smell,

  • 1 thing you can taste.

Other helpful strategies include:

Strategy #1:

Use the Green light, Yellow light, and Red light strategy.

1. Green light: all is good, we can proceed with the activity

2. Yellow light: proceed with caution, look both ways, behind, and in front. If clear, then proceed.

3. Red light: stop, wait, breathe, analyze, then proceed when safe to.

Strategy #2:

Take planned breaks.

1. Do not wait until tensions are high to step away from a tough situation.

2. Choose safety first, self-care and nurture, develop a plan, and then proceed.

3. Use short, planned breaks to review your current status before returning to a larger group.

Let us know if you find these helpful, have other easy suggestions that have helped you, or if you would like to schedule a session this season.