Life can get hectic during the holiday season. Committing to therapy during this time of year may seem daunting, but it can help you manage your feelings and set goals for the New Year. Therapy can be beneficial regardless of when you start, but beginning before the holidays can give you a fresh perspective and help you learn how to cope with the sometimes unpredictable social dynamics this season can bring.
It’s easy to fall back into old roles and patterns that aren’t healthy, even if you don’t live close to your family. When you build a life away from your family, you don’t have to deal with those old roles as often. Returning to a familiar family setting can conjure some unprocessed feelings from your past. Therapy can help you sort through these feelings, provide support and give you behavioral tools to help you deal with your (and others’) behavior in a positive way. This can help reduce anxiety and prevent depression.
If you decide not to go home and your friends are away during the holidays, you may feel sad and lonely. Expectations about what a holiday should be like can sabotage positive thoughts and make enjoying time alone tough. If you’re feeling lonely during the holidays, it may be an indication you feel disconnected at other times, too. Seeking therapy can help you identify the source of this disconnection and the impact it has on you. This allows you to find renewed enjoyment in any season, whether alone or with loved ones.
At the end of the year, many people take stock of what they’ve accomplished and set new goals for the year ahead. If you believe you didn’t achieve what you wanted to, you may feel anxious and disappointed in yourself. Therapy can help you learn how to practice self-compassion and help you focus on what you have accomplished.
Your therapist can provide tools to help you manage the anxiety or depression you may be feeling. They can also help you gain a new perspective on what a meaningful life looks like to you and how to work toward it in the New Year. If you want to get ahead for 2020, contact a therapist at Kayenta Therapy directly to schedule an appointment.
