Self-Care during the Holidays ✨

Prioritizing Self-Care during the Holidays

Balancing holiday activities with school and other responsibilities can be hard. If you’re feeling the pressure, try these tips to help ease it and reflect on what is most important during the holidays:

• Feeling stressed about holiday shopping? Take a few minutes to practice mindfulness before, during, or after gift shopping.
• Triggered by holiday meals and treats? To avoid overindulging, try grounding yourself by practicing mindful eating. You may be amazed to learn the multitude of benefits that mindful eating can have, such as the prevention of digestive issues and maybe even improving your relationship with food.
• Are you grieving or feeling sense of loss this holiday season? The holiday season can be hard for those who have lost friends or loved ones. Noticing and naming your physical and emotional responses may help. Read more from Change to Chill here.
• What do you have to be grateful for? As the end of the year approaches, we encourage you to reflect on the positives from the year. This short exercise can help get you started.

There is often a sense of pressure to be extra happy and excited during the holiday season, which can make it difficult to speak up if you feel differently. Know that you are not alone in your emotions and it is valid to feel however you do. No matter if or how you celebrate holidays, find time to take care of yourself. Mental health is just as important during the holiday season as it is any other time.

Community Happenings

• On Thursday, December 1^st, Change to Chill and Annex Teen Clinic, one of our valued community partners, facilitated a virtual presentation for school staff and other youth-serving professionals across Hennepin County. This presentation focused specifically on our new Stress & Identity resources, including resources for LGBTQ+ youth and forthcoming resources for Native and Indigenous and other BIPOC youth. View the recording here.

• Isanti Middle School, one of our Change to Chill school partners, will be hosting a Chill Week December 12-16. Next week, students will participate in fun activities and hear from local providers to learn about mental health and well-being. Here’s one of the video messages that will be shared during Chill Week, featuring Dr. Kampa of Cambridge Medical Center talking about the connection between nutrition and stress. Want to host a Chill Week at your school? Check out our Chill Week guide.

Well-being Resources for All Ages
Did you know that Allina Health has well-being resources for folks of all ages? In addition to Change to Chill, which focuses on youth ages 13-19, Allina Health has two sister programs we encourage you to check out!

Hello4Health is a resource for adults, with tools and activities to help build or strengthen social connections.

Health Powered Kids is a resource for youth ages 5-14, with lesson plans to help kids Be Active, Keep Clean, Find Balance and Eat Well.