Welcome to the final days of 2020. Whew! Give yourself a high five. You’ve made it to the holidays! At ABT Counseling we are thankful for you and wish you all the best during this season. There is a lot of great advice on how to embrace the Christmas holidays this year. We would like to suggest five things to maintain your positive mental health as we put a bow on, and wrap up, 2020:

1. Acceptance. We know this season, in this year, is going to be different than previous years. Recognize that. You may not be able to do things you’ve done in the past. You may not see family or be able to attend The Nutcracker or special worship gatherings. Rolling with the flow during a different-than-normal holiday season will be important to your mental health.
2. Holiday Traditions. With the craziness that is 2020, be mindful of your special holiday traditions. Do what you can to maintain them but be willing to press the pause button. Better yet, get creative and start a new tradition. It may be as simple as trying a new recipe or mailing a card to someone in a nursing home or video-caroling to a distant friend.
3. Healthy Habits. It’s key to maintain what you do throughout the year for your good health during the holidays. Exercise, eating right, and quiet times of reflection are super important, especially right now.
4. Stop. No matter what project you might be in the middle of, sometimes it’s important to take a break. Get outside, take a walk in the park or a hike in the woods. Give yourself permission to veg out and watch a Christmas movie. Maybe you watch two movies back-to-back this year. Just because it’s 2020. That’s okay.
5. Plan and Budget. Finances can trip up a lot of us. Prepare now for the credit card bill in mid-January. Make a plan for your holiday shopping and stick to it. And if you exceed it by ten-percent or so, give yourself some grace. Also, consider making a year-end donation to a charity; generosity is healthy.

We can all enjoy the holidays during this unique year. Whatever you do, make sure to connect with others. We need each other. Especially now.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!