Support systems are essential all year round, especially during the holidays if you are experiencing triggers, sadness, grief, anger, etc. Holidays can be isolating and lonely, and it doesn’t help that most conversations about mental health emphasize individual healing. The expectation of figuring out your mental health on your own can be overwhelming, isolating, daunting, and quite frankly unrealistic.
We all need support and help from time to time. There is no shame in reaching out when you recognize that you are not emotionally, physically, or mentally in a good place. I am here to tell you that you do not have to navigate your mental health alone. Your mental health journey can include your community of choice, especially around the holidays when you may need extra support and care.
A healthy community/ support system can
Having a Community/support system during the holidays creates opportunities for new rituals and traditions that feel safe, healthy, and joyful. With a healthy community, you can decide what events to participate in, listen to your social battery, and take breaks when events feel too much. With a healthy support system, you can opt out of some celebrations without feeling guilty because you know they will understand and support you.
Community is an integral part of mental health. We need people who can be sounding boards, hold space for us when life gets overwhelming, share resources and knowledge, or lend a hand when we need support. So, let us take a moment to reflect on your support systems/community
Taking time to reflect on your relationships can support you in figuring out what works for you or needs to change.
If you went through the questions and struggled to answer them, that may be an insight that you may not have healthy support systems or need to expand your support networks.
Don’t feel bad if you have yet to find your community. It takes time to figure out who you feel safe around and who you can be your authentic self with.
Some ways to build a support system/ community are by
Be patient as you explore what community and support mean to you. It takes time to find your people. People who enjoy spending time with, who respect your boundaries, who can communicate and be flexible when planning, and who you feel safe spending time with.
For additional support this holiday season, check out the Holidays are hard to resource guide. As you skim through it, I challenge you to reflect on how you can incorporate community to support you in navigating the Holidays. And if you feel safe to share, drop a comment and let us know what community means to you.
It’s that time of year again, and I am sure you have noticed how fast the Holiday season is taking over stores. For some, this can trigger the body and create stress or dread….
[Content warning: Suicide.]
In recent years, during the month of Pride, I’ve always been extremely excited about the celebration—the glittery and colorful extravagance all throughout the month of June.
However, this year, I’ve taken a pause to really understand my journey, the one I’ve taken individually and the one the queer community is on at the moment. I feel blessed to live in West Hollywood in Los Angeles, one of America’s queer-friendly meccas, though the sparkle in my heart has dimmed as I feel increasingly more concerned for my community across the country where our safety, protections and rights are all at risk. Unfortunately, none of us are safe.
I’ve lived with bipolar disorder for the last 13 years. Though the initial years were brutal, once I understood my triggers and what it takes to stay well, I’ve been privileged to have stayed healthy for much of the last decade. This included — to my relief — my first pregnancy and post-partum period and serving in high-intensity public health roles through the pandemic, as California’s Acting Surgeon General and previously the office’s first Chief Health Officer.
I love music. Recently, I was listening to a random playlist Spotify generated for me when a song titled “Before I Have A Daughter” by Bre Kennedy started playing. Bre Kennedy sings about building a garden that grows on the same ground where tears have fallen and hearts have also been broken. Her goal is to learn to tend to this garden so that it flourishes on both the good and bad days.
Help us with your feedback on this 3-question survey!