Coping with Holiday Stress: Tips and Resources from The Harris Center for Mental Health & IDD
The holiday season is often thought of as a time for joy, celebration, and togetherness, but for many, it can also bring stress, anxiety, and overwhelming emotions. Between the pressure to create perfect moments, navigate family dynamics, and cope with the memories of lost loved ones, the holidays can be as emotionally challenging as they are cheerful. The Harris Center for Mental Health & IDD is helping the community navigate these difficult emotions with its Healthy Minds, Healthy Communities (HMHC) initiative, providing valuable mental health support during this busy time of year.
Addressing the Emotional Strain of the Holidays
While the holidays are meant to bring people together, they can also highlight personal struggles and mental health challenges. From financial stress to emotional pain, the season can exacerbate feelings of isolation, grief, and anxiety. Recognizing these stressors and taking proactive steps to address them is key to maintaining emotional well-being.
“It’s okay to not be okay,” says Alessia Parker, Community Engagement Coordinator at The Harris Center. “What’s important is to address it. Keeping that in can be detrimental.” This straightforward yet powerful statement emphasizes the importance of acknowledging stress and seeking support during times of emotional difficulty.
The Healthy Minds, Healthy Communities (HMHC) initiative was created as a response to the widespread mental health challenges identified during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in underserved communities. The program focuses on providing accessible mental health services directly to residents in neighborhoods with unique needs, including communities that have historically faced barriers to mental health care. By reaching out to people where they live, the initiative fosters an environment of trust and support that can help individuals cope with the stresses of the holiday season and beyond.
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Coping Strategies for Holiday Stress
Through HMHC's Community Learning Circles, the Harris Center has gained insight into how recognizing specific stress triggers is essential for managing holiday-related anxiety. “Being able to identify what specifically triggers stress is crucial,” says Alessia. By pinpointing these stressors—whether it’s financial worries, family conflicts, or the pressure of hosting—individuals can better prepare themselves to manage those situations and prevent them from becoming overwhelming.
Setting personal boundaries is one of the most important coping strategies. This might involve making decisions like limiting spending, skipping certain social gatherings, or knowing when to take a break from social obligations. “It’s perfectly fine to leave an event early or take time for yourself,” says Alessia. “Taking time for self-care is an important way of managing stress during the holidays.”
In addition to boundary-setting, the Harris Center encourages individuals to develop their own coping mechanisms to deal with the emotional challenges of the season. “Identifying a family member or a friend who can offer support, finding personal stress relievers like exercise, hobbies, or mindfulness practices can all be part of a healthy approach to reducing holiday stress,” adds Alessia.
Support and Resources from The Harris Center
The Harris Center for Mental Health & IDD provides a range of mental health services to both children and adults, regardless of their ability to pay. These services include individual counseling, group therapy, and specialized programs addressing conditions such as anxiety, depression, and more complex psychiatric disorders. During the holiday season, when emotional distress may be heightened, these services become especially important.
For those in immediate crisis, the Harris Center offers 24-hour crisis lines, available at 713-970-7000 and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. These helplines are staffed by trained professionals who offer confidential, compassionate support to individuals experiencing acute stress, emotional crises, or suicidal thoughts. Having access to immediate help can make a significant difference in managing holiday-related mental health challenges and ensuring that individuals feel supported during times of heightened vulnerability.
A Community-Driven Approach to Mental Health
The Healthy Minds, Healthy Communities (HMHC) initiative is a community-driven approach to mental health care, designed to address the unique needs of Harris County neighborhoods. By focusing on ten targeted areas—including Independence Heights/Northside, South Park, and Acres Homes—the initiative seeks to make mental health care more accessible and relevant to the people who need it most.
Through Community Learning Circles, HMHC has been able to tap into the strengths of each neighborhood, fostering a sense of empowerment and self-sufficiency in addressing mental health challenges. This approach ensures that mental health care is not just something provided by an external service, but something that is integrated into the community fabric, making it more effective and sustainable.
A Holistic Approach to Mental Health
The Harris Center’s approach to mental health is holistic, focusing not only on alleviating symptoms but also on enhancing overall well-being. By offering a broad spectrum of services and focusing on long-term mental health, the Center aims to empower individuals to take control of their mental health and develop the skills needed to cope with stress throughout the year.
As the holiday season continues, it’s important to remember that stress and emotional strain are common, and seeking help is a healthy, responsible step toward improving mental well-being. The Harris Center’s Healthy Minds, Healthy Communities initiative is a valuable resource for anyone in need of support during the holidays or at any time throughout the year.
For more information about mental health services or to access support, visit The Harris Center’s website or call the 24-hour crisis lines at 713-970-7000 or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
