‘Checking-in’ with your Mental Health over the Holidays

December 18, 2020 - Defence Stories

During the Holidays, many people look forward to spending quality time with family, friends and loved ones.

For some, the holiday season can bring about difficult emotions such as stress, isolation and depression. This year, those feelings may be exacerbated due to public health measures put in place to combat the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and which may impact people’s abilities to visit their loved ones.

Here are some tools for Defence Team members can use to “check-in” with themselves and stay on top of their mental health this holiday season.

• Take the Mental Health Meter survey: Do a quick ‘check-in’ with your mental health using Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Mental Health Meter. Complete a short survey and receive a description of your results that gauges your well-being in the following five areas:
  • Ability to enjoy life;
  • Resilience;
  • Balance;
  • Self-actualization; and
  • Flexibility.

Note: This is not a scientific test. Information provided is not a substitute for professional advice. If you feel that you may need advice, please consult a qualified health care professional.

• Build resilience and practice self-care
  • Create a self-care and resilience plan: Read the CMHA Mental Health First Aid COVID-19 Self-Care & Resilience Guide to learn about how building self-care into your daily or weekly routine can greatly improve resilience and prevent burnout.
  • Maintain regular routines around exercise, sleep and personal interests. During the holidays, it can be easy to fall out of the routines that help us manage our health and wellness through the rest of the year. Try to keep this in mind and maintain your healthy habits such as, eating nutritious food, staying physically active, getting plenty of sleep and spending time on the activities that help your mental health all year round.

• Additional tips for taking care of yourself and your family during the holidays:
  • Stay informed but take breaks from social media and the news
  • Practise physical distancing, but stay socially connected to friends and family through:
    • Email;
    • phone calls;
    • video chats; and
    • social media.
  • Practise mindfulness by:
    • Stretching;
    • Meditating; and
    • taking deep breaths.
  • Follow safe food handling and cooking practices to keep you and your family safe.
  • Think about how to use any unexpected flexibility in your daily routine.
  • Focus on the positive aspects of your life and things you can control.
  • Be kind and compassionate to yourself and others.
  • Don’t forget to find time to laugh!

Additional resources

• Defence Team COVID-19 Mental Health and Wellness web page
• Health Canada - Employee Assistance Services (EAS)
• Canadian Forces Member Assistance Program (CFMAP)
• LifeSpeak – Web-based service that offers free confidential access to hundreds of short videos by experts on everyday issues.
• Mental Health Continuum Model

Interesting articles

• Taking care of your mental and physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Stress Management for Defence Team members: Tips for taking care of yourself and your family during the holidays
• COVID-19: Plan a safe holiday or celebration
• How to manage holiday stress during COVID-19
• Don’t feel bad about feeling bad: self-care during COVID-19