Mental Health Experts Offer Tips to Lessen Holiday Stress

(KNSI) — Mental Health experts are trying to help people take the stress out of their holiday plans.

Central Minnesota Mental Health Center Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Steven Loos says not everything can be perfect, so managing your expectations can help. “We want to focus on, what do we want to accomplish during the holidays. We want to connect. We want to have fun. We want to spend time with our loved ones.” He says don’t create extra anxiety by trying to plan out every perfect moment, adding, “everything else can just fall into place.”

He says some people get depressed around this time of year because they miss family and had to spend the holiday alone. Dr. Loos says mental health workers see a significant spike in patients following the holidays “Because, one, either you have the event and now there isn’t as much to look forward to, or you come through the holidays and you’re feeling upset because it didn’t go the way you planned.”

If you need to talk to someone about any mental health problem day or night, call the CMMHC 24-hour hotline at 320-253-5555.

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