"Prehab" for the holidays

“Prehab” is proactive participation in therapy in order to avoid injury or decrease pain. Athletes have participated in prehab for decades to avoid damage from potential trauma of challenging or repetitive movements.

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Therapy can be thought of as “prehab” for your mental health. We know that mental health takes a dramatic dip after the holidays for a lot of reasons, and this year will be no exception.

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Before things get bad or the damage is done, speaking to a therapist can help you come up with effective strategies for navigating the challenges of the holidays. This can look like:

• setting a clear and healthy boundary with Dad about Covid talk or ruminating

• learning your familial or holiday triggers and figuring out how to stay regulated and level despite them

• coming up with a plan for navigating feelings when they become too much

• putting thought into your holiday needs and wishes and making plans that honor those needs

• creating space and time to digest and decompress between activities or visits

• deciding who gets your time (sometimes that means taking space away from toxic others as well) and how much time to give to each family member or friend

• boldly planning for a fierce 2021

• manifesting your dream career/relationship/goal for the new year

.Don’t wait until it hurts to get help. I love you.