The holiday season can be joyful — and destabilizing. Travel, family gatherings, disrupted routines, and financial pressure stack up quickly. If you live with a mental health disorder or you’re managing depression or anxiety, this is not the time of the year to put care on pause. In fact, consistent support is what helps you keep daily life steady so you can focus on enjoying the holidays — on your terms.
At Lepage Associates, serving Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, we help individuals and families stay connected to effective treatment through therapy, coordination with prescribers, and practical tools tailored to the season.
Why Stopping Now Backfires
When schedules get crowded, treatment is often the first thing people drop. A skipped session here, a missed refill there — and soon symptoms creep back in. Momentum matters. Therapy is like strength training for your brain: you maintain gains by schedule time for sessions and skills practice, even when you’re busy.
If you’re considering a “holiday break,” ask:
- Are symptoms fully stable — or just quieter because you’ve been supported?
- Will travel and sleep changes set boundaries on your energy — or drain it?
- Do you have a plan if stress spikes at a family event?
If the answer to any of these is uncertain, keep your care in place.
Want a simple, flexible plan? Our clinicians in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill can adapt frequency, offer telehealth, and coordinate with your prescriber so treatment fits your calendar.
Practical Ways to Protect Your Care
1) Keep Appointments—Format Flexibly
If you’re traveling, ask for virtual sessions. A 45-minute video check-in can prevent a small wobble from becoming a full slide. Add one extra session in weeks with tough triggers.
2) Safeguard Medications
Refill early, set reminders, and pack meds in your carry-on. Build “anchor” habits—dose with breakfast or brushing teeth—so time zones and parties don’t throw you off.
3) Use Body-Based Skills in Real Time
Stress shows up in the body first. Tiny practices help:
- Deep breathing: inhale 4, exhale 6, repeat 8–10 rounds before/after events.
- Grounding: name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear.
- Movement snacks: brisk 10-minute walk before a large meal or visit.
Need a portable skill set? Our therapists in Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh will build you a holiday-specific coping plan.
Structure That Supports (Without Killing the Fun)
Perfection isn’t required. Predictability helps.
- Sleep/Wake: Aim to keep bed and wake times within an hour of normal.
- Food/Water: Steady fuel reduces mood swings; enjoy treats without skipping meals.
- Social Media: Set app limits; endless scrolling can amplify comparison and shame.
- Alone Time: Schedule time for 20-minute resets—music, a walk, journaling—especially on days with multiple events.
Boundaries Make Joy Possible
Boundaries aren’t about saying “no” to people; they’re about saying “yes” to sustainability. Examples:
- “I can come from 3–6, not the whole day.”
- “I love you; I’m skipping that conversation tonight.”
- “I’m taking a quiet break and I’ll be back in 15.”
Share your plan with a trusted family member or friend who can back you up. With family and friends, decide ahead of time which holiday gatherings you’ll attend and which ones you’ll decline. You’re allowed to set boundaries so you can actually enjoy the events you choose.
Want boundary scripts that feel natural? We coach language and role-play scenarios in our Triangle offices (and via telehealth).
Tools That Help Many People
- Light therapy: Morning light boxes can support mood and circadian rhythm—especially helpful when daylight is short.
- Support groups: Connection reduces isolation. Local and national organizations—including the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) — offer groups in person and online throughout the season.
- Care coordination: If you receive medication, keep contact with your health care provider about timing, side effects, or refills around travel.
If you’re unsure where to start, ask your therapist to map resources that match your needs and schedule.
What to Do at Events (When Stress Spikes)
- Arrive resourced: sleep, food, water, and a plan.
- Identify an ally: a cousin or friend who can step outside with you for five minutes.
- Use micro-breaks: bathroom reset, “checking on a call,” or a brief walk around the block.
- Have a graceful exit line: “So good to see everyone — heading out to rest so I can make breakfast plans tomorrow.”
Remember: leaving early is not failure. It’s skillful self-care.
If You’re Supporting Someone You Love
For family members who want to help: ask what’s useful (not what you assume). Offer concrete options—quiet space, short visits, rides to appointments, or joining support groups together. Avoid minimizing: “But it’s the holidays!” Instead, try: “How can we make this event work for you?”
Our team in Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill offers family consults to help loved ones learn practical, respectful ways to support treatment.
The Bottom Line: Keep the Lights On
Treatment is the framework that lets you enjoy the parts of the season that truly matter — spending time with people you care about, meaningful traditions, and moments of real rest. Don’t hit pause; adjust the dials. Keep therapy, meds, and skills in motion so you can meet the month steadier, clearer, and kinder to yourself.
Ready for holiday-smart care? Contact Lepage Associates in Chapel Hill, Durham, or Raleigh. We’ll tailor effective treatment to your travel and events, integrate skills like deep breathing, explore tools like light therapy, and connect you with local support groups — so this year’s holidays support your mental health, not derail it.