Mental health advice for festive use

One of the beauties of Psychology as a social science is the fact that it’s applicability in everyday social situations is almost unlimited and in most cases, quite prominent in impact.

This particular time of year is often synonymous with bringing people together, breeding reconnections among family and friends and generally, a time that peaks with cheer and excitement for those that have made it through the endless different travails that the year has presented, both individually and as a collective.

With that as a backdrop, it would not be an exaggeration to assume that a certain toll has been taken on our mental health as the year has gone by and the fact that some of us have had to really ‘dig deep’ to get through different psychological pressures at different points of our lives from the start of the year.

As loud and overt as the festive period is, it does serve the very subtle purpose of ‘bringing us together’ and I mention that to draw attention to the mental health aspect and how relevant it is when it comes to relating with our family or friends we rarely get to see or speak to on a regular basis on account of our different commitments.

The year is quite long and a lot can happen from its beginning; therefore, it only makes sense that we practise being considerate of how we perceive, talk about or even talk to the next person, whether we know or we do not know what they have been through.

Many people have experienced emotional heartbreaks and betrayal, financial setbacks, feelings of non-achievements on account of being unemployed or even the mere feeling of stagnation; feeling like you are not making any notable progress in life; and some of these have the potential to ‘eat at’ one’s confidence and their esteem, particularly when in the company of others.

As effective sources of psycho-emotional support, we are to maintain a non-judgemental attitude towards each other while keeping a keen ear to listen and offer soft, ‘esteem-constructing’ advices wherever we can. Our purpose is to strengthen, sharpen and refill each other’s mental health resources and let our coming together be beneficial and memorable for more than just ‘loud music and fizzy drinks’.

The issue of mental health in and among family and friends should not be an untouchable issue, instead, it should be one that we can speak freely of and assist each other wherever we can.

As we prepare to gather, may we also prepare our minds and mental frames in ways that will allow warm psycho-emotional environments that will foster easy interactions, particularly on the mental health front. We also need to practise a sense of vigilance on how we speak of others who may have had troubles to ensure that we minimise any form of emotional toxicity that may be borne out of any stereotypes and misjudgements. With that being said, may your holidays be happy.

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