MENTAL and EMOTIONAL HYGIENE FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

 



MAINTAIN MENTAL and EMOTIONAL HYGIENE. 

The first and most important thing is, don't over think or over analyze situations.  This will keep your mind out of repetitive thinking loops. 

STAY AWAY from negative social media and doom scrolling.  Read that again.  Absolutely no doom scrolling. Doom scrolling can lead to anxiety, depression and mental fatigue. 

BE GENTLE and compassionate with yourself. Take some time to be quiet and drink hot tea or coffee.  Forgive yourself for past mistakes; treat them as learning experiences and move on. 

DO NOT ruminate.  Ruminating is replaying a bad experience in your head. We all do it and it can become a habit, which is bad because the distress clutters our mind and can lead to a repetitive negative thinking loop. Concentrate on something else.  Look for five things around you to focus upon.  This will help your mind to change gears.  Then, focus on the positive things you can take away from the situation, and move forward.  

Rumination keeps our mind in the past, and thoughts (negative and positive) about the past create anxiety in our system; remember when… big sigh or distressed eek!  Keep your mind in the present.  It will lower anxiety and bring control back into your system. 




PROTECT AND NURTURE your self-esteem by practicing self-compassion after you’ve made a mistake or had a setback.

·         Relax. Sip some tea. Take deep breaths (meditate if you can).  It helps slow things down and put them back into perspective.

·         Recognize that it is impossible that everything is your fault. There are many factors that go into any situation.

·         Don’t compare yourself to others.  Everyone is in a different place at any given time.  You are where you need to be.

·         Know that the situation may be bad today, but things will get better.  Nothing stays the same.  Everything moves on.  Move with it.

·         Look at the situation as a learning experience.  You walk away from everything a little stronger and more knowledgeable.

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W  Want more information on how to become a mindful ECE?  Download The Mindful ECE Resource Collection.



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Sources: 5 steps to better emotional hygiene, Guy Winch Ph. D., Psychology Today; 7 ways to practice emotional first-aid, Guy Winch Ph.D., Ideas.Ted.Com; and Emotional First-Aid, Nicholette Leanza, Med, LPCC-S, Psych Central. Accessed September 18, 2019.

 


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