Barbara Faracchio
LCADC – Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor
LPC – Licensed Professional Counselor
MS – Master of Science
Not all of us love the holidays and for those of you who are in this boat, here are some tips to get you through:
1. Honor yourself. Whatever this means to you personally, Do it. Say no to events/ dash out early/ invite who you want/ keep things simple, etc. Give yourself the permission to do whatever you want.
2. Get plenty of rest, nutrition, and physical exercise.
3. Plan ahead.
4. Try not to allow the busyness of the holidays to throw you off your normal schedule/routine.
5. Seek extra support from and connect with the beloves in your life.
6. Attend counseling.
7. Increase and personalize self care.
8. Practice patience and compassion towards yourself AND others if your are able.
9. Create a daily gratitude list during the holiday season.
10. Double down on your spirituality.
11. Say no.
12. Be mindful of substance use.
13. Be realistic about expectations around what a holiday ” should” look like or be like.
14. Find creative ways to make new traditions that work better for you.
15. Make decisions based on, “what brings me the most peace?”
16. Don’t be alone unless you want to be.
17. Ask for help.
18. Take the time to grieve the losses that you may be feeling during the holiday season. Make time for this either alone or with others.
19. Create relaxing surroundings.
20. Give back.
I wish you all a happy, safe, loving, and fun holiday season.
Best,
Barbara Faracchio MS, LACDC, LPC
