72. Not Always Jolly: Nature’s Lessons for the Holidays

This episode begins by normalizing difficulties over the holidays by sharing national statistics that demonstrate the commonness of this experience.  Supporting patients with concerns over the holidays can be a challenge, in part because of the difficulties themselves and also because of the strong tendency to isolate these concerns at this time.  Brenda then considers how nature operates during this time of winter as a helpful example for supporting these experiences.Enjoying the podcast?There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlistContribute to the Conversation!  Share your thoughts on the podcast and how these concepts work in your practice, or ask a question and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode: https://connection-therapy.com/contact-usReferences: American Psychiatric Associationhttps://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/americans-more-anxious-about-the-holidaysAmerican Psychological Associationhttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/11/holiday-season-stressNational Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI)https://www.nami.org/press-releases/mental-health-and-the-holiday-blues/https://www.nami.org/blog-post/surviving-painful-holiday-emotions/https://www.nami.org/from-the-ceo/the-most-difficult-time-of-the-year-mental-health-during-the-holidays/Old Farmer’s Almanac (information about the Winter Solstice):https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-winter-winter-solstice#:~:text=The%20first%20day%20of%20winter%20in%20the,December%2021%2C%202025%2C%20at%2010:03%20AM%20(EST).