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Last month Sarah reached out to her local neighborhood community to see if any families were in need and struggling to provide Christmas gifts to their loved ones. She received many responses and started putting together gift baskets. Check out her guide below on how you can donate gifts to your community too!
It’s even applicable for after the holidays. Let’s spread all the kindness we can and help out our communities. 🫶
Happy holdays!
Hello, everyone! Our content flyer for December is here, the last one of the year! To submit an article, be a guest on a podcast, or provide a video, email us at turningpointct@positivedirections.org.
Or, you can always submit your content directly to the Our Stories, Blogs, Creative Expressions, Videos, and Map pages!
Please know that any content you would like to contribute does not have to be limited to the ideas listed on the flyer. You can also submit content around anything you feel comfortable sharing!
Social anxiety can be a formidable adversary during the holiday season. With an influx of social gatherings, increased expectations, and the general chaos of this time of year, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
This comprehensive guide is here to arm you with practical strategies and tips to navigate through the holiday season with confidence and joy.
Social anxiety, also known as social phobia, is more than shyness or a fear of public speaking. It’s a persistent fear of being observed, judged, or scrutinized by others, causing significant distress and impairing one’s ability to function in social situations.
Social anxiety symptoms can be psychological and physical, varying from person to person.
Common psychological symptoms include:
Physical symptoms can include:
A person with social anxiety may experience some or all of these symptoms, and their intensity can fluctuate based on the situation. Understanding your specific triggers and reactions can help you develop strategies to manage your anxiety.
The holiday season is often a time of increased social activity, which can exacerbate social anxiety symptoms. The pressure to attend large social gatherings, navigate unfamiliar social situations, and handle potential triggers can make the holidays less cheerful.
Moreover, with the COVID-19 pandemic in recent memory, many people are finding it challenging to reintegrate into social situations after extended periods of isolation. The sudden return to large gatherings and parties can trigger a spike in social anxiety symptoms.
While social anxiety can be daunting, especially during the holiday season, you can use proven strategies to manage your symptoms and enjoy the festivities. Here’s a roundup of 10 practical strategies to help you conquer holiday social anxiety.
Understanding your social anxiety is the first step towards managing it. Familiarize yourself with your specific triggers and reactions, recognize the physical and psychological symptoms, and understand how they impact your daily life.
Having clear boundaries is crucial when managing social anxiety. You don’t need to accept every invitation that comes your way. Determine which events are important to you and only commit to those.
Having a trusted friend or “wing(wo)man” at social events can help you feel more comfortable and less anxious. They can facilitate conversations and provide a sense of familiarity and security.
If bringing a friend is not an option, ask the host if there’s something you can do to help during the event. This can give you something to focus on, reduce feelings of being observed, and provide opportunities for easy conversation.
Having a few conversation starters up your sleeve can help alleviate the stress of making small talk. Think of neutral topics or current events that you can discuss.
If you start to feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to take a break. Step outside for fresh air, take a quiet moment alone or engage in a brief mindfulness exercise to help you re-center.
It’s okay to acknowledge your social anxiety. If you feel comfortable, let others know that you’re feeling anxious. More often than not, people are understanding and supportive.
The holiday season can be a challenging time for individuals with social anxiety. However, you can navigate the holiday season confidently and grace by understanding your triggers, setting boundaries, and employing effective coping strategies. Remember, asking for help and caring for your mental health is okay. After all, the holiday season is all about joy, peace, and well-being.
Written by Sarah Edwards, Project Associate of TPCT. Want to get to know me? Say hi! https://liinks.co/setapartcompany
Disclaimer: Sarah Edwards is not a certified or licensed mental health professional—instead, someone sharing real-life experiences and findings for others to find commonality and seek actionable steps.
National Institute of Mental Health – Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just Shyness
New York Times – It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Holiday Social Anxiety
Envision Wellness – 7 Ways to Manage Social Anxiety During the Holidays
Sharecare – How to Survive the Holidays When You Have Social Anxiety
I was born in December, two days after Christmas to be exact. I’m someone that enjoys birthdays; I love wishing people a happy birthday. I consider birthdays to be a sort of “holiday”, which would make my birthday my favorite holiday.
While I’m sure a lot of people with holiday birthdays have their gifts combined, ever since I was a kid, my mom always made sure to separate my birthday from Christmas. I would receive gifts for Christmas and two days later, gifts for my birthday – in birthday wrapping paper. And when we could, I would have parties or get-togethers for my birthday. One of my favorite parties we had was when we went to an indoor trampoline park when I was in 6th grade.
As I’ve gotten older, though, I have found it to be challenging to get friends to celebrate my birthday with me. People are more focused on spending time with their families during the Christmas/New Years season, which is completely understandable.
Along with there being holidays, the winter weather has also played a factor. I remember one year, I invited people to celebrate my birthday with me, but on that particular day, it happened to snow pretty hard, so the get-together had to be canceled. Rescheduling was not an option as they were then busy with the holidays.
However, even when I didn’t have a party or get-together with friends, I would have my family tradition of going to a restaurant of my choosing on my birthday. Last year I chose Chipotle, and we also watched the sunset at the beach, which was nice. This year I am choosing my favorite restaurant, Three Girls Vegan Creamery in Guilford, CT.
For those of you with birthdays close to or on a holiday, how do you celebrate?
– T
As most of you already know, my parents split and got a divorce. This changed the holidays drastically for me. I was no longer sure what to expect around this time of year. I knew that it meant that things would be different. It meant having to have a split holiday. I was going to have spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with my dad and my new family.
I’ll be honest, I hated the idea of having to go somewhere new to celebrate a holiday with people I barely knew. At that point, I also still hadn’t really forgiven my dad for leaving in the first place. And I certainly didn’t I want to meet the people who got to have him instead. It made me hate the holidays but I wanted to spend time with my dad so I sucked it up. Eventually, I got over it and the holidays were more enjoyable. I got to know my step-family and they’ve done nothing but love me and more.
While I do love them, sometimes the holidays are still hard. From the outside, it sounds like having split holidays is cool but it’s really not all it’s cracked up to be. Honestly, it’s exhausting. Every year I have to mentally prepare myself to have two Christmases. For the copious amounts of small talk, awkward silences and having to open presents when nobody else is. Don’t get me wrong, I love both of my families but I just want to enjoy my holiday in one place. Sometimes, I hate having to have a split holiday.
What are the holidays like for you?
Also, check out What The Holidays Really Feel Like For Children Of Divorce from the Thought Catalog!
You can also read TurningPointCT’s post How To Cope With The Holiday Sadness.
TurningPointCT.org was developed by young people in Connecticut who are in recovery from mental health and substance use issues. We know what it’s like to feel alone, stressed, worried, sad, and angry. We’ve lived through the ups and downs of self-harm, drugs and alcohol, and the struggle to find help.
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