How to prioritize mental health in the New Year
HONOLULU (HI Now) - The holidays are a time for family, friends, and festivities…and, yes, stress! As we head into the new year, we want to give you tools to navigate the stress and prioritize your mental health.
Janet Covington, LMFT, LMHC, NCC, is Clinic Director for The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Child & Family Service in Mililani. While Covington’s clinic works exclusively with post 9/11 military, providing mental health services and case management to veterans, active-duty service members, and their families, we think you will find her tips are relevant to the community at large.
Here are three tips for managing stress in the new year.
- Have open communication within your family. The holidays can be a time of increased stress, so openly discuss your feelings and expectations if you feel you’re not on the same page with your loved ones and friends. By talking as a family or with a professional about stressors, you can decide how you want to address stress when it arises. For example, if a parent is deployed, you might find a unique way to celebrate with that parent from a distance, such as writing a note or planning a video call.
- Identifying healthy coping strategies for dealing with stress. This can be deep breathing, mindfulness, journaling, or seeking social support.
- Identify what you’ve been struggling with. If it’s financial, go over the budget for the new year. If it’s time management, create a schedule in the new year that allows for balance between work, family, and relaxation. Introducing time management to a hectic schedule can help reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed. If you’ve been struggling with difficult emotions, take a look at how you can better resolve conflict. Conflict is more likely to arise when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. HALT is a great acronym to remember to check in with yourself. Often, when you address these things, you’re better prepared to handle holiday stress.
Service members here in Hawai’i have additional stressors because of the nature of their job, such as deployments, missions, trainings, PCS moves, and other unique circumstances associated with military life. One of those stressors might be being far away from family. Whether you’re stationed here for the first time, or living away from family, how do you stay connected when you can’t be with a loved one?
- Think about items in your home that remind you of your loved ones. Covington says she collects ornaments that represent people she loves and memories of times spent with them.
- Holiday traditions can be shared, even though we’re far apart. It may be starting a family and friend virtual album where loved ones post photos and videos to share with everyone. Or using platforms like Zoom to celebrate the new year together.
Covington reminds us that being together means taking the time to celebrate the season in the best ways we can. The most important thing to remember is to connect with family, friends, and with those less fortunate than us.
The Cohen Clinic at Child & Family Service provides targeted statewide outpatient therapy for the Hawai’i military community. Clinicians like Covington use evidence-based practices to treat depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, adjustment issues, anger, grief and loss within the military community.
Looking for more tips? Cohen Veterans Network has 12 tips about to support your mental health and wellness this time of year. www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/12-tips-for-holiday-wellness
Learn more on the clinic’s website or by calling 808.204.4020. The Mililani clinic is part of Cohen Veterans Network (CVN,) a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that serves the military community through a nationwide system of mental health clinics. Together with Child & Family Service, the team has served more than 1,700 members of the military community, including children, since opening more than three years ago.
Copyright 2023 KHNL. All rights reserved.
