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Here are some apps to help you manage the year-end blues
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so the song goes. And truly, it can be. Shopping centres are playing happy songs, Christmas decorations can be found all over the city and you’ll soon hopefully have some time off work to see friends and family.
While all of these are great, the holiday period is also known to cause stress and anxieties, causing a deterioration in the mental health of many people. Here are some suggestions on how to manage those issues, and what apps might be useful to help you cope.
Lock Things In
A big part of holiday stress is that there is often so much to do and so little time! One way to navigate this would be to try to plan things ahead – you know that you only have a few weeks left before the new year, so prioritise what you want to get in. This could be a short trip away, visiting family or just catching up on TV shows you’ve been meaning to watch. You could easily use a calendar to do the planning – so if the day is full, it’s full – or use a productivity app like Trello which lets you throw several ideas, priority lists and even set reminders in one interface as a general guide if you prefer something less rigid.
Give Yourself A Break
As you make your plans and fit people in, make sure that you also find time for yourself. This is especially so when you know things are going to get hectic. One way to do this is actually to pen some “me time” into your schedules. This could be just a day off between socialising – so block that day out so you don’t make any plans for that – or actually booking yourself in for a day of pampering at the spa. There are other little things you can do as well – download the Headspace app which can help with mindfulness, do a little bit daily and that way, you have at least a few minutes to yourself each day just for you.
Check In With Yourself
Being busy and having lots of plans – a situation you might find yourself in while on holiday – doesn’t always bode well for your mental health. In fact, one source of stress and anxiety is just being so constantly overwhelmed that you don’t have time to process anything, let alone understand how you’re feeling. Realising that you need to pause and take a step back can be helpful. A mood tracker app can be helpful for this, so why not try Moodkit which incorporates several features based on psychotherapy methods to help you manage your mood and general well-being.
Work Out
It’s a long-established fact that exercise can help improve your mood, alleviate stress and manage some mental health issues so don’t forget to keep your workouts going. During the holidays, things can get so busy that your fitness doesn’t always get prioritised. What’s more, there can also be a lot of guilt associated with missing your workouts – especially when you’re being merry and eating all the delicious holiday fare – that can contribute more to your stress and anxieties. If you’re too busy (or travelling) and can’t get to a gym, just go for a run or a walk when you can, or use an app like 7-Minute Workout to squeeze in a quick session. You’ll definitely feel better.
We all know how difficult the holiday period can be. Hopefully, with these suggestions and apps, this year you’ll be all ready to take them on. Happy holidays!
