December, 2024
Focus Topics for December, 2024
A Month to Focus on Hope
December is a month that invites us to embrace hope and renewal. As the year draws to a close, it offers a chance to reflect on our journey during this past year and look forward to the possibilities ahead. Let's fill this month with optimism, joy, and the warmth of togetherness. May we find inspiration in every moment and share our hopes for a brighter future.
Resources provided will be ways hope may be found, encouraged, and shared during this special time of year.
Mental Health America has as an initiative, "Hope for the Holidays". Areas of focus include ways to be uplifted during the holidays, mourning during the holidays, winter break tips for college students, and other important topics. Resources are provided with seeking hope during this holiday season.
​
Looking for Support During the Holidays
Five Things to Do When the Holidays Aren't Uplifting
Winter Break Survival Tips for College Students
Mourning During the Holiday Season
​
​
During December Making a Plan for the Gift of Wellness
During the month of December, a new personal approach could include the gift of wellness. Consider creating ways to look at your plan of exercise and physical health. Being active creates the "feel good" hormone and a sense of wellbeing and accomplishment.
Financial wellness may include creating a "healthy budget" for spending in December, then look toward 2025 creating positive changes such as reducing debt, "smart" spending, and creating a savings plan.
Gifts to the community could include donating your time, talent, and effort may be the "real giving" of the season with helping others.
A great article is included for your review to see other creative ways to make a gift of wellness for yourself that also could benefit others during this special time of year.
​
​
Supporting Your Mental Health During the Holiday Season
​
25 Self-Care Tips for the Holiday Season
​
December is Stress Free Holidays Month
During December stressors begin in many ways with issues of family gatherings, strained relationships, financial concerns, frantic schedules, caregiver issues, blended family arrangements, and more.
Finding joy, peace, happiness, and happiness during this special season can be challenging.
Magellan Health and Mayo Clinic have several great resources to review, and are included in this post.
Take time to be mindful, reflect, practice self care, and continuing to build meaningful relationships with friends, family, peers, and co-workers.
​​
Ways to Reduce Stress During the Holiday Season
Coping with Holiday Stress from Mayo Clinic
Focus on Joy During the Holiday Season
​
Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude During the Holidays
​
Finding Happiness During the Holiday Season-A Happiness Jar Activity
​
Staying Cheerful During the Holiday Season
​
EAP Resource-Reducing Holiday Stress
​
​
​
Have you signed up to receive Newsletters, Updates, and Timely Resources from the practice? If you have interest in receiving information, click the link below to connect and begin getting practice communications!
​
What I Am Reading This December
December is a time of year where so many people reflect on the past year, sometime years past. It is a time also to look forward to the future, 2025. People look at what they have accomplished, what they wish they may have not achieved, their intentions for 2025, and seeking happiness and joy. A book that I recently recommended to a couple of clients is entitled, "The Happiness Project" written by Gretchen Rubin. In reviewing this book with a client, they are looking at the last chapter, Chapter 12, December-Boot Camp Perfect, Happiness. In this chapter, for example, there is focus on looking at happiness, ways to be happier, and some examples of how others have found ways and resources to create a better way of thinking, reflecting, and seeking what exactly is their "happiness" in life.
The chapters focus, each month of the year, on a certain topic to improve happiness, and generally experiencing life in a new way.
Gretchen Rubin has written several other books which are worth reading and can be used as effective resource for life change.
I have included the website for Gretchen Lewis which is filled with podcasts, resources for use with this book, and also resources to add in other areas such as goal setting, creativity, happiness, getting rest, etc.
Happiness Resource Read Along Page
​
​​