Tips to protect your mental health
The holidays can be a very happy time for many people because they gather with family and friends, exchange gifts, and celebrate traditions. However, changes in family routine and the time taken by additional activities can also cause stress, especially in children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers some recommendations to help the family enjoy the holidays in the best possible way:
During the busy holiday season, try to maintain household routines. If possible, keep the same sleep and eating schedule as your child to help reduce stress and help your family enjoy the holidays.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself, physically and mentally. Children and adolescents can be affected by the health and well-being of their parents and caregivers. Coping well with stress can also teach children how to better manage stress.
Plan to focus on one thing at a time. Try some ideas to maintain balance between all the tasks to be done, such as shopping, cooking, and going to family gatherings during the holidays. Take time to enjoy what’s happening at the moment, focus your attention on one thing at a time, and notice how you’re feeling at the moment. Stop making quick judgments and remain curious (open-minded) about how you feel in the moment.
Give yourself to others by making it a tradition to share your time and talents with people who have less than you. For example, if your child is old enough, encourage him to participate in volunteer activities to serve food at a food bank or shelter or to sing in a nursing home in your community. Help your child write a letter to members of the military who are deployed overseas and cannot spend holidays at home with family members.
Remember that many children and adults feel lonely, sad, and isolated during the holidays. It is important to be sensitive to these feelings and if necessary ask for help for yourself, your children, family members, and friends.
Don’t feel pressured to spend a lot of money on gifts. Consider making one or two gifts by hand. Help your child craft a gift for a parent, grandparent, or important adult and friend in their lives. These gifts may be the most valuable and teach your child many important lessons.
The most important thing of all is to enjoy the holidays for what they are: a time to have fun with your family. So spend family time, do things together, like sledding or playing board games, and spend time with relatives, neighbors, and friends.
Tips for the family on sleep and mental health
Sleep has become a casualty of modern life. If you find yourself very sleepy or if you just feel like you didn’t get enough rest in the morning, what can you do about it? Fortunately, there are many things we can do to improve sleep as individuals, family members, and a community.
Here’s a list of important points to help you get a good night’s rest.
- Sleeping environment
Make yourself comfortable. Make sure your bed and bedding are comfortable. - Eliminate distractions. Take the TV out of the room. Avoid seeing or hearing annoying, violent, or scary topics 2 hours before bedtime. That includes the news, conflict-filled talk shows, and anxiety-filled dramas. Use the bed only for sleep and privacy, not for watching TV, reading, working, talking on the phone, or playing electronic games.
- Comforting sounds. Listen to relaxing music, sounds of nature or the sound of silence. Keep noise low. Consider wearing earplugs if you can’t control the environment.
- Safety and security. Before going to bed, make sure that the doors are locked, the stove is off, the iron is disconnected, the water taps are closed and there is no monster under the bed (I was just joking with the latter, but it is important to perform a routine to make sure you have done everything you can to ensure your personal safety).
- The darker, the better. Turn off the lights. Darkness promotes sleep and healthy levels of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and being awake.
- Keep the environment cool. Cool room temperatures promote sleep and minimize interference from itchy sensations.
- Enjoy the scent of roses, or what’s better lavender or chamomile. Relaxing essences like lavender have proven effective in helping you fall asleep, even in noisy intensive care units.
- Warm. A person who has been passively warmed up by a hot bath or sauna (not intense exercise) manages to fall asleep faster than someone who is cold. Even a warm foot bath has been shown to ensure a good night’s sleep according to a scientific study; so even if for some reason you can’t bathe your whole body, consider a warm foot bath before going to bed to help you get into the arms of Morpheus. Keep the body warm and the room cool.
If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed, get out of the bedroom, and try one of these strategies: eat a snack, take a warm bath, listen to soothing music, read inspirational books, make a list, or write something in your journal.
