As fall begins, it brings to mind the beginning of the holiday season. However, the holiday season can be overwhelming for many folks. Past memories and painful feelings attached to those memories can create a significant obstacle to enjoying the season. Here are a few suggestions you can do to make it a better experience.

First, try to get more support from close friends. Verbalizing with someone your thoughts and feelings about the upcoming season can alleviate the anxiety and stress.

Second, ask for help when you need it. Trying to carry too much alone while preparing for the different holidays can easily overwhelm anybody. You are not superwoman or superman. Getting others to help is one of the most practical and easy solutions to help ease the load.

A third strategy would be to increase therapeutic contact by attending more than once per week. Psychotherapy multiple times per week offers greater emotional support and an increased focus to supportively work through painful holiday memories.

Fourth, continue to be active. There are numerous studies that show greater wellbeing is contributed to getting frequent and consistent exercise. The more you keep active in a specific exercise the more it will help you feel calm and contained.

Putting these four strategies into action can help you survive the tough holiday season and create new memories that are positive and heart warming. Moreover, these practices can also help you survive the tough demands of life through any season.