Remember the holidays can be a time for increased stress. There can be increased expectations on ourselves from ourselves as well as expectations set by others. Sometimes this stress is in our awareness and sometimes it is not. It can be felt in our bodies with increased muscle tension or decreased health - just to name a few. To cope, some may drink or use, which can sometimes be a subconscious controlled way to get relief from the tension in a familiar way. Others may cope by keeping their needs quiet to themselves and others, which also might be familiar. Remembering that there are other ways to cope and an awareness of these processes can sometimes alleviate the holiday tension. Ways to cope could be setting boundaries with oneself (e.g., self-care and speaking up internally) and setting boundaries with others. A book on setting boundaries is Codependent No More by Melody Beattie. She also created an app with a calendar of daily excerpts for those on the go.
*This blog is not intended to treat those that read this information and readers will not be considered clients in treatment by or with the writer.