Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.

47,612Members
1,358,869Posts
1,400,000Visitors

Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

Unknown userMember10 Dec 2021, 12:27 pm AEDT

Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

Hi there SANE Forums Community,

This fortnight we invite you to join in a discussion about strategies for coping during the holiday season. As we near the end of what has a been a particularly difficult year, many of us will will be looking forward to festive celebrations and rejoicing in farewelling 2021. There will also be many of us for whom the holiday season may be a particularly trying time, stirring up emotions such as loneliness and isolation, grief and sadness.

With many support services closed for the holidays, this makes accessing support tricky, which is why our next Topic Tuesday will be dedicated to a discussion on strategies for coping during the silly season. We'll be joined by a SANE counsellor who will be sharing their tips for coping with all the difficulties that may arise for members of the forums during this period.

We all bring our own experience with us to the holiday season, so we will look forward to hearing from the community about your experiences and strategies for coping with some of the obstacles during the Christmas and New Years period.

Join us in exploring strategies around:

Isolation
Navigating family tensions
Grief and bereavement
Service closures
Where to seek help

Please join the discussion here on Tuesday the 21st of December 2021 from 7:00pm-8:30pm AEDT to follow this conversation.

Want to know what time this event starts in your time zone? Check out the picture below:

Want to receive a reminder on the night? Hit the 'Support' button below and we will tag you 30 minutes before the event starts.

New to the forums or want to get involved in this discussion? Check out the How To Guide for Topic Tuesdays.

124 replies

91 - 100 of 124

1...9 10 11...13

In response to: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

GwynnSenior Contributor21 Dec 2021, 8:10 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

And a question for our community: what are the main struggles you’re currently facing, or have in the past, around Christmas and the holiday period?

I'm struggling with the enforced happiness that happens around this time of year. I don't quite know what to do about it, but I am struggling. Maybe blast some 'If it Makes You HAPPY' by Sheryl Crow...

Question for our community: Christmas can be a time of joy for many, but for others it can a difficult and stressful time of the year. If loneliness is something you identify experiencing over the Christmas and New Year’s period, what does that look like for you?

My best friend invited me to spend NYE with her, but had to rescind the invitation because she's housesitting and the family she's housesitting for doesn't know me from a bar of soap and doesn't want me jumping on their beds etc, lol. Quite frankly, it's their loss, I always try to value-add to my friend's housesitting service, and have even found a dog digging an escape tunnel! I feel kind of sad that I won't get to see her until mid-January at the earliest, and that I have to limit my outings etc so that I can stay well enough to go and see her then. I know I'm not alone in this, lol, but it still makes me a bit sad.

Question 4: As families come together to celebrate Christmas, this is often a time that can elicit tension and conflict within family dynamics.

Hoo boy, family dynamics! At the moment I'm trying not to get too annoyed at my brothers, I've invited them to sleep over at mine on Christmas Eve because it's closer to my parents' place, where we're all going for Christmas Day, but they haven't got back to me yet. 😞

In response to: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

pisces_1Contributor21 Dec 2021, 8:10 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

Tagging a few community members who've enagaging with these questions:
@Gwynn @BPDSurvivor @The-Hams @Lani @Judi9877 @Fluttershy1 @Anastasia

During these times, many people have developed social anxiety because we have lived a lot of the year isolating, whilst only connecting with others via technology.

Ask yourself “What does social anxiety look like for you, and how does it present itself?”

What has helped in the past?
Before you go out, visualise yourself with a smile on your face, joining a group and having a good time.
What is a manageable amount of time to socialise? Put a limit on the time so you know that there is an end to the situation. This enables you to be in control of the timeframe.
Are you worried about catching Covid? Socialise with a smaller group of people, and suggest that everyone has a Covid test before getting together.
If you start to feel anxious whilst you are socialising, find a quiet place and acknowledge the thoughts and feelings. Accepting them by having compassion for yourself. If this is too difficult, shift your focus on the present moment and connect with each of your five senses; sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste. Remember, you have the choice to leave the event if needed.

In response to: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

LaniSenior Contributor21 Dec 2021, 8:11 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

Thank you Henry. The world stops in our own time and space. I went to a chemist in a shopping center 2 weeks after mum passed and I couldn’t understand why everyone was just about their day like it was normal. I just wanted to yell out and let everyone know my mum has died can’t you see that life isn’t normal anymore. But then I realised it’s my life that isn’t normal now not everyone else’s. It was tough

In response to: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

cloudcoreSenior Contributor21 Dec 2021, 8:11 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

@Lani , I'm so sorry to hear of the negligence surrounding your mother's passing. I can hear the love you have for her and can understand the complex feelings you're experiencing at the moment. I'm going to link you a previous Topic Tuesday thread for you to have a look through here, and also tag you in another space to talk about this further and find support

In response to: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

HenryXSenior Contributor21 Dec 2021, 8:14 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

Hi All,

I am fortunate in having a very good friend whose family has come to know me well over the past 20+ years. I will be having Christmas lunch with them. As I say I am fortunate. I live on my own so the dynamics is somewhat different to a situation where there is lots of family around. In that situation we can really impose on ourselves that we act the way that we think we should for the sake of other people.

That internal pressure can really build up unless we can find some outlet or "down time" and take time out even for a short time - about the time it takes to make and drink a cup of tea coffee or other preferred drink - and have that quietly so that we can actually feel ourselves instead of what we are or want to project to and for other people.

In response to: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

MDTSenior Contributor21 Dec 2021, 8:17 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

Very limited use of technology @cloudcore
Thats usually my starting point

In response to: Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

Unknown userMember21 Dec 2021, 8:17 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

I can really identify with that sense of "enforced happiness" you mention there @Gwynn. At times I've really struggled with the concept of Christmas as it all feels quite Hallmark and family centric, which I'm sure is genuine for loads of people, sadly it's not always been an experience I've shared in the past.

I'm sorry to hear your siblings haven't gotten back to you yet. So many plans seem to be up in the air for so many this Christmas. Hopefully they'll respond soon and you can put your feet up and enjoy all that the week holds for you

In response to: Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

pisces_1Contributor21 Dec 2021, 8:17 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

@Gwynn i'm sorry to hear that you aren't able to spend time with your best friend over NYE. It sounds like the people she is housesitting for are anxious about having a stranger in their house. It is so unfortune that they don't know how lovely and caring you are. Hopefully you will be able to conect with your friend over the phone on NYE and i am sure you will have a great time together when you see each other in mid- January 🙂

In response to: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

MDTSenior Contributor21 Dec 2021, 8:17 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

Then I'll usually just meditate on my thoughts and figure some things out @cloudcore

I feel like covid has stolen a part of my youth

In response to: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

GwynnSenior Contributor21 Dec 2021, 8:17 pm AEDT

Re: Topic Tuesday // Strategies for coping during the holiday season // Tuesday 21st December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

@Lani, that must make it so much more difficult, having her go before her time. A close friend of my best friend passed away in much the same way, she went into hospital for a routine operation and never came home. Something that helps my friend cope with her loss is to talk to her friend as if she's still here in spirit.

I know the feeling of guilt after a loss, that you should have seen the deterioration earlier, that you should have spoken up sooner or louder... but your mum wouldn't want you to feel that way for even one minute.

91 - 100 of 124

1...9 10 11...13