GUEST POST - 8 Tips to Avoid a Full-Blown Holiday Meltdown by Live Well Mentally

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Brandy Higgins as a guest blogger.  She is offering fantastic advice for anyone with or without mental illness to survive HOLIDAY STRESS!!!

8 TIPS TO AVOID A FULL-BLOWN HOLIDAY MELTDOWN

I have mental illnesses but I am also an introvert. Being in large groups of people or  around strangers is very emotionally draining for me. I need to have a plan when I go to holiday events for many reasons, including being introverted, trauma, and mental illness symptoms.

I have had some very difficult holiday events in the past to survive. My husband and I often pushed several holiday dinners into one day so as not to let anyone down.. By the end I would lose it with my family.

One time I had a holiday dinner with my abuser, my father, and his extended family. It was extremely difficult. I had high anxiety going to the event and during it. I had flashbacks and dissociated during much of it. I did not have a plan and it was a miserable experience.

I often made the mistake of pretending I was fine when actually I was a mess. I would push myself too far.  Here are some tips to avoid a full-blown holiday meltdown during or after a challenging holiday event

Tips To Get Through A Difficult Holiday Event

• Know your limits. If this holiday event is to much for you, stick up for yourself. Pleasing others is not worth risking your mental health.
• Don't go it alone. Go with someone supportive.
• Take short breaks in the bathroom or outside.
• Imagine yourself in a safe place.
• Do not pretend to be ok. Give yourself permission to NOT be ok.
• Stay away from alcohol. It will be difficult for you to manage your mental illness symptoms if you are drunk.
• Have a code word. Agree in advance with your support person to leave if their code word is used.
• Don't apologise for yourself. You have done nothing wrong by taking care of your mental health.

I really hope these tips help you through the challenges of the holidays. I pretty much live by them. What tips do you have for surviving holiday events? Happy Holidays everyone. Leave questions, comments, suggestions below.

BRANDY'S BIO: Brandy Higgins, RN, BSN is the writer of Live Mentally Well-Better Living Thru Mental Wellness. https://livementallywell.com.  Lifelong Mental Health Survivor. Live Mentally Well is impacting our community and the world by inspiring mental wellness one person at a time.  She writes about Mood disorders, Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Postpartum Bipolar Disorder, Christian Mental Health, Anxiety Disorders, Childhood Trauma, PTSD, and Dissociative Disorders.  Share my knowledge and come along with me on my recovery journey.