In 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus caused changes to daily life around the United States. In state after state, masks became an essential item, and social distancing transformed personal and professional habits.
These precautions are needed to slow the spread of the highly infectious disease caused by this virus, COVID-19, and are now changing this year’s holiday landscape in potentially stressful ways.
At Nugent Family Counseling of San Jose, California, Los Gatos, California, and Reno, Nevada, our experienced care team is here to help with suggestions and ongoing support to get you through this potentially difficult time of a difficult year. We offer treatment and support for depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
Here’s what we want our new and existing patients to know about dealing with pandemic depression and isolation this holiday season.
Feeling the pandemic isolation?
As we enter the 2020 holiday season with the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, and in many cases with numbers of infections on the rise, the Center for Disease Control and other state agencies are urging people to change their usual celebration plans to avoid travel, gathering indoors in public, and gathering indoors for social events with people from outside your immediate household as much as possible.
Already a challenging time of year for many patients who suffer from depression or isolation, the holidays in 2020 pose unique challenges, as changes may prevent you from enjoying your usual seasonal delights. Feelings of loneliness and sadness can become overwhelming.
Find creative ways to keep connecting
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic might rule out holiday travel or family gatherings, you can still connect with your loved ones this holiday season. You might just need to get more creative! Here are a few ideas:
- Use tech-like phone calls and Zoom sessions to regularly connect with family and friends
- Spend time with loved ones in safe ways out of doors, or take time to chat through an open window
- Rekindle a connection with an old friend by striking up a correspondence, using email or old-fashioned holiday cards
With a little inventiveness, you can build new traditions with your loved ones, to carry forward into years to come.
Give yourself the gift of good support
Knowing that 2020 poses unique mental health challenges, give yourself the gift of good support this year.
You can take steps to support your own physical and mental health. Pay attention to your physical and mental wellness, and make sure to support yourself with a good diet, regular exercise, plenty of sleep, and self-care and pampering as needed during this atypical holiday season.
If you’re concerned about mental health issues this winter, reach out now, as well, to establish a connection with one of the compassionate and caring providers at Nugent Family Counseling. With professional support at your back, you can more readily weather any emotional or mental health disturbances over the coming holiday season.
The care team at Nugent Family Counseling offers treatments including counseling, psychotherapy, medication management support, and more. To connect with the expert family counselors at Nugent Family Counseling, contact our California offices now. You can book your appointment online, or call today.