5 Tips for Coping With Anxiety and Loneliness During the Holidays

This holiday season, prepare for things to look and feel a bit different. If you’re worried about not seeing family and friends during the holidays or if you feel you’ve lost a sense of freedom with global lockdowns, it’s normal to feel disappointed, lonely, helpless, stressed, and so on.

Here are some tips to help focus on your mental health this holiday season:

1. Social Interaction

The holidays can get particularly lonely with the world going on lockdown again, or if you’ve lost someone special to COVID-19. That’s why it’s important to make an effort to keep in touch with people. Call, write letters, and check in on the people you care about. Let them know you’re thinking of them. It’ll do wonders for your happiness to socialize, in addition to helping a friend or relative who may have needed someone to talk to.

2. Stop Comparing Times

This year is inevitably like no other year we’ve experienced. Comparing this year to previous years’ holidays and traditions serves no purpose in making your current state of mind happier. Stop it! Move only forward, not backward.

3. Go for a Walk

Even if it’s chilly, bundle up and go for a walk outside! Studies show natural sunlight and physical exercise help improve your mood. Since most of us are quarantining, we can get stuck in the cycle of not leaving our homes for days. If you need help staying consistent with getting moving, sign up for inKin. You can request a demo or start your 7-day free trial to undergo fitness challenges and competitions!

4. One-Minute Rule

If you can finish a task you’ve been putting off doing within 1 minute, do it right away without questioning it. Getting small tasks completed will not only make you feel more productive because you’ll feel motivated to get bigger/more difficult tasks done, but also will give you a sense of accomplishment and achievement.

5. Practice Mindfulness

Often we may feel like we’re simply going through the motions and avoid paying attention to what we’re feeling during uncertain times. It’s important to work on being present and mindful to cope with anxiety. Try journaling a few lines every day; mention what you’re feeling, some thoughts you’ve had floating around, and what you can do to make today great.

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