The holidays can be a time of reflection or a time when repeating patterns, stressors and emotions come to the surface. If any of these three things come up, that’s your sign that it’s a great time to go to therapy. Therapy is for people who care about themselves and their relationships, who have a vision and goals. If you’re reading this, this is probably you.
Prolonged emotional distress can take a toll on you but you may not realize the effect it’s having on you until a major trigger occurs; and for a lot of people, the holidays can be that trigger.
Experiencing strong emotions like sadness, anger, or anxiety may not be a reason to go to therapy, but experiencing any of those strong emotions for a prolonged period of time can mean that it’s time to give therapy a try.
This distress may be going on longer than usual because you are repeating patterns or bad habits that lead to an emotional response. Falling into habits can be a coping mechanism because it’s easy to fall back into something that’s familiar, even when those familiar things create distress.
“Research has shown that what you’ve done before is a strong indicator of what you’ll do next. This means established habits are hard to break.” (“How to Break Bad Habits and Change Behaviors.” Heart.org. December 14, 2023. www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/mental-health-and-wellbeing/how-to-break-bad-habits-and-change-behaviors)
Therapy can help you identify new, positive behaviors that can replace the negative behaviors/patterns that are causing you emotional distress.
Stress can lead to behavioral and physical changes that interfere with your daily life. Always feeling on edge or having a short fuse with others can be a behavioral indicator that you are not effectively dealing with your stress. Everyone feels frustrated or even angry at times, but if you find yourself feeling this way on a regular basis and it causes you to lash out, then you need a positive outlet to address it.
Similarly, stress can manifest in a physical form and make you feel tired or even sick. “Your muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury when you’re stressed. They tend to release again once you relax, but if you’re constantly under stress, your muscles may not get the chance to relax. Tight muscles cause headaches, back and shoulder pain, and body aches.” (
Therapy can help you learn more about yourself, how you respond to stress and how you can use positive coping skills to minimize the behavioral and physical symptoms.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed and start to feel like you are losing the battle when it comes to managing your emotions. Whether the overwhelming feelings build gradually over time or begin as a result of a stressful or traumatic event, it can catch you off guard. Most of us tend to try to handle things on our own, because society has told us that we should be self-sufficient. But learning to recognize when something is too much to handle on your own, and reaching out for support is a positive step in the right direction, not something to be ashamed of.
It’s important to take the first step to begin therapy before you find yourself in a crisis situation. We discussed this in a previous blog and explained how developing a relationship with a therapist, establishing some baseline skills, and addressing issues before they have escalated to emergency status, are all key to being successful.
If you are repeating patterns, experiencing stress and overwhelmed with emotions, therapy may be the next step to take care of yourself and protect your relationships. Contact us, we are here to help guide you and help you get started.
