The holidays, while filled with wonderful traditions, can also trigger stress and depression. Added to that, the shortened days can trigger seasonal affective disorder, further impacting motivation and energy levels, which makes it even harder to stop and regroup. With some practical tips, you can minimize the stress that accompanies this season. Some easily accessible things you can do include: - Acknowledge your feelings: it is normal to experience feelings of sadness, overwhelm, or isolation. And by noticing and naming the feeling you allow your body to come back to balance, allow you to observe, rather than judge, the feeling. - Reach out: if you feel lonely or isolated, seeking out community, religious or other social events can buoy your spirits and offer support and companionship - Plan ahead: for both you manage your time, but also how you could build a toolkit to take with you to navigate difficult times. This could include things like a quick breathing exercise, an energizing song, or repeating a calming mantra. - Don’t abandon healthy habits: keep to the activities and routines that make you feel balanced, including good sleep and physical activity. - Seek professional help if you need it. There is no shame in recognizing that you need more support, and there are resources available to help you feel better.
Let’s Talk is a free, confidential 24/7 support line launched by Tampa Bay Thrives in July of this year. The coalition of leaders who founded Tampa Bay Thrives came together with the recognition that despite the strong programs available to help people with their mental health, our community simply needed more options. These leaders include local hospitals, public safety, schools, private business, insurance payers, and mental health providers, people who know the system and are committed to partnering to fill gaps. Let’s Talk is a program to help people navigate directly to counselors who can help guide you through the process of finding help, be it identifying the right therapist for your concern or providing a supportive ear and advice to help you cope in challenging times.
The Let’s Talk website also offers a searchable database of providers and lots of practical tools and information for those who prefer to investigate on their own.
24/7 call line: 1-833-DIAL-111 (833-342-5111) Let's Talk
Website: www.letstalktampabay.org, where you can also sign up for our monthly newsletter loaded with information and helpful resources.
Facebook: Lets Talk Tampa Bay
Intagram: @letstalk_tb
This is a free, confidential line open 24/7 for anyone looking for support.
