Your partner may not be experiencing optimal mental health this holiday season. Short days, family conflict, and being stretched thin are the downsides to the holiday season. If your partner is feeling depressed or anxious you are probably trying to do whatever you can to help. Here are three tips that can be helpful to your partner and your relationship.
Keep Communication open, constructive, and cheerful when possible.
Healthy relationships incorporate open and honest communication. Hopefully, your partner feels comfortable confiding in you that they are having a hard time. Creating a comfortable space where your partner can feel like themselves is crucial. This would look like a non-judgemental zone that encourages all emotions even if they are not pleasant. If your partner is feeling down, talking about cheerful things may help. This could include joyful memories of past experiences or friends or family that are a positive influence on your partner's life.
Encourage Self-Care
Self-care is always crucial but even more so when our mental health is languishing. You can encourage your partner to partake in self-care activities and join them in those activities. That could be as simple as going for a walk, watching a funny television show or movie, or drawing them a hot bath. This will have the double effect of improving your relationship as well. It can be helpful if you also encourage your partner to not partake in things that cause stress such as watching the news, a serious documentary, or talking about stressful topics such as money. When people are struggling with their self-care it can not be overstated how important a good diet, sleeping 7-9 hours a night, and exercising are. If your partner does all three of these things they will most likely start to feel better. You can encourage this behavior by cooking or bringing in a healthy meal or encouraging your partner to go with you to the gym. Other things that bring your partner joy may vary by where you are in the country and their preferences. It could include going to a christmas show, looking at holiday decorations in your neighborhood, going ice-skating or seeing santa claus at the mall.
Assist your partner with getting professional support
When people are struggling it can be difficult to reach out for help. This could be for several reasons including feeling anxious about talking to a therapist or feeling pessimistic that anyone can help. Additionally, your partner may have had negative feelings from having a negative experience in past therapy or a bad fit with a previous therapist. I recommend encouraging your partner to set up a free no no-pressure 15-minute consultation to see if the therapist may be a good fit. Of course, you can not force your partner to do this but you can encourage it which may be helpful. A therapist is a good place to start but it could also be helpful to schedule an appointment with a primary care doctor to check for any physical ailments that may be impacting mental health or a prescriber such as a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner who can evaluate whether medication may be helpful.
It is common to feel blue during the holiday season. If you are in a relationship and your partner is struggling with their mental health, there are things you can do to be helpful. This includes strong communication with your partner and encouraging them to partake in self-care and get professional support. Speaking of getting professional support, individual or marriage counseling may be helpful. Contact me today for a free consultation.