How to Take Care of Your Emotional Health in the Whirlwind of the Holiday Season

Although filled with the anticipation of the upcoming holiday, December is a slightly hectic and tense period in the life of the University community due to forthcoming assessments, examinations, project deadlines, reports, etc. Combining holidays with work can be a significant challenge, so to overcome the hustle and bustle and the fast pace of the holiday season, it is necessary to take care of one’s psychological, emotional, and physical well-being. Psychologists of the Community Well-Being Division of Vilnius University (VU) suggest several ways that can help manage stress during the holiday season.

Festive expectations
Each one of us may experience the atmosphere of the holiday season differently. Some may feel exhausted from the preparation for the festivities and having to complete all the work before the holiday. In contrast, others may feel quite relaxed and look forward to the upcoming holiday. In any case, during this period, we may experience a discrepancy between the way we feel inside and our surroundings. This discrepancy may be reinforced by a romanticised image of the holiday season on social media and advertisements that do not always reflect reality.
One of the ways to reduce the tension is to set realistic expectations and permit yourself and others to experience this season in an authentic way rather than the way it ‘should be’. Let’s try to live in the moment and enjoy it – right here, right now. This is exactly how we created wonderful memories in our childhood.

Work and leisure balance
As work and other concerns pick up speed, maintaining a routine may be difficult. However, the work and rest routine, getting enough sleep and ‘me time’ in particular, are most effective in maintaining the balance during the most difficult periods. While reading these tips, if you think that your usual routine is not possible due to the examination session or the amount and pace of work, which is objectively much greater, it is important to experiment and create such a routine which could be adapted to the different circumstances of life. We can always practice self-forgiveness and patience. Even when something goes wrong or is not going according to the plan, let’s remind ourselves that we are doing our best.

Feeling lonely during the holiday season
The festive season over Christmas and New Year often symbolises a new beginning, the joy of gathering with family and friends to socialise together and communicate; it’s when we can experience community, love, and care. However, for some of us, this season can bring not only merriment but also the feeling of loneliness. By being far away from our loved ones or experiencing changes, for example, studying or working in a new place, and feeling the weight of unfinished work, we may feel that we are separated from this joy.

What helps us to overcome the feeling of loneliness during the holiday season?
1. Creating new traditions. Regardless of whether we are together with a family or on our own, we can create our own festive rituals or traditions. This can be a walk through a city adorned with festive decorations, indulging yourself by making a special meal or having a pleasant ‘me time’.
2. Participating in social activities. During the holiday season, different entertainment and charity events are held both at the university and elsewhere. Participation in these activities can not only strengthen the feeling of community and lift our mood but also give a sense of real meaning when performing good deeds.
3. Virtual connection. Even though it is not always possible to maintain physical contact with your loved ones or friends, you should not forget the possibilities of virtual contact. A sincere and warm conversation with loved ones by video chat may reduce the distance. While communicating and sharing memories, future plans, or current experiences, we can feel closer spiritually, although we are separated by geographical distance.
4. Self-help. By associating the feeling of loneliness with the presence or absence of other people, we often forget that it is important to maintain a relationship with ourselves. It is important to take care of your own psychological well-being, devote time to taking care of yourself, and find ways to get to know yourself better. Reading a book, watching a film, practising meditation, or other activities that engage the body and mind are excellent ways to enrich and expand your inner world and get to know yourself better.
The feeling of loneliness during the holiday season may be a challenge, but it is important to remember that there are ways to overcome it. Every one of us may create our own festive experiences and find joy, even when we are away from our loved ones.

The dark season
The onset of the dark season and the lower amount of sunshine also affect our mood and psychological well-being. The lack of sunshine is related to the lower amount of serotonin, otherwise known as the happy hormone. Thus, during the dark season, we often notice that we are less energetic or industrious. We may feel more pensive or sadder than usual, and some of us experience difficulty sleeping or overall weakness. To mitigate these unpleasant experiences, we may take measures to help produce serotonin in different ways.

One of the ways to help yourself during the period of darkness is light therapy, which is becoming more popular. Special light lamps imitating sunshine may help lift your mood and raise your energy levels, especially when the lamp is used in the morning after waking up. Light therapy may be very beneficial to people who have lived in countries where sunshine is much more abundant than in countries in the north. Following the principles of healthy living is as important. Good nutrition, physical activity, and enough sleep may have a positive impact on psychological well-being. Even short but regular walks during the daytime may help reduce stress levels and lift your mood.

During the dark season, we spend more time at home and see our friends or family less frequently, so this may make us feel more isolated or lonely even if we do not feel it right away. Communication with others may positively affect the mood and help maintain emotional balance.
December may be full not only of joy but also of challenges, which is why it is important to be attentive to your feelings and emotional well-being. Openness, mutual support, and searching for ways for self-help may strengthen us in this tense period that is also full of anticipation.
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If you are currently experiencing difficulties, undergoing a crisis, or need emotional help, please contact the specialists of the Community Well-Being Division of VU, who are ready to provide psychological support.
Specialists of the Community Well-Being Division of VU provide the students and employees of VU with:
– psychological support services;
– consultations and help to those members of the VU community who have individual needs due to disabilities, learning difficulties, or long-term health problems;
– consultations on the issues of emotional well-being and equal opportunities and non-discriminatory policymaking;
– consultations on spiritual issues.

More information on the emotional well-being of students at VU is available here.
More information on the emotional well-being of employees at VU is available here.
More information on the psychological services provided to members of the VU community is available here.
More information on the activities of the Community Well-Being Division of VU is available here.
More information on diversity and equal opportunities at VU is available here.

You can register for a psychological consultation at the Community Well-Being Division of VU by filling in the form: https://www.vu.lt/psichologinepagalba.
In case of a crisis, contact us by email at or by phone on +370 699 34 818 or +370 658 99 392.