Editorial: Value your mental health this holiday season
Published 5:05 am Monday, December 22, 2025
It’s the hap-happiest season of all – in some ways. But for many of us, this time of year can also be hard on our mental health. There are a lot of things besides visions of sugarplums that are dancing in our heads. There’s the stress of the season, the pressures to please, the financial hardship. There’s the anxiety of too many social gatherings or the loneliness of too few. For some, the season is associated with grief or other memories that weigh heavily.
The Canadian Mental Health Association, in the week before Christmas, issued a press release sharing practical tips for taking care of ourselves during the holidays.
“The holiday season is often portrayed as a joyful time, but for many, it can bring a mix of emotions and added stress. Between financial anxiety, coping with economic uncertainty, longing for connection, or managing grief or loss, the holidays can take a toll on our mental health,” the association noted. “If that resonates all too well, you’re not alone. There are many ways to protect your mental health and even find moments of peace, comfort, and connection.”
In a season of giving to others, we also need to think about ourselves, and ensure we find opportunities to recharge with quiet nights. It’s OK to decline invitations and instead treat our bodies right with proper sleep, meals, and movement.
There may be temptation and even expectations to go overboard on gift-giving, so it may be important to be thoughtful with our budgets, and even start traditions that aren’t based on over-spending or over-consuming, the mental health association suggested, such as homemade gifts, shared experiences and low-cost activities.
If we’re feeling up to it, it might be the right time to reach out to those we care about – social connections are good for our own health and well-being, and theirs, too.
The CMHA recommends we address our mental health head-on, so to speak.
“Naming, expressing and dealing with our emotions, even when they’re uncomfortable, can make us feel better,” the release noted, mentioning journaling, art, meditation or talking to a trusted friend or family member as a few ideas.
Help is available for those struggling with their mental health. Visit www.cmhamidisland.ca for information about local resources. For anyone who is thinking about suicide or worried that someone they know may be thinking about suicide, call 988.
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