Holistic Athlete Weekly Newsletter

Mental Health and the Holidays

It’s fairly well documented that the holidays bring mental health challenges that are both predictable and also extremely subjective based on individual experience and circumstances.

Risk factors for teenagers over the holidays:

• Parents divorced, creating stress and complication with planning and managing family systems. The holidays may shine a light on failed relationships within the family, especially if the divorce is recent.

• Relatively recent loss within the family, holidays are often a milestone where grief may be expanded and complicated.

• Abuse and/or neglect at home. While it goes without saying that this would negatively impact a child’s everyday experience, over the holiday’s kids who have significant challenges at home are taken out of their routine, the safety of school and their support system of friends and trusted adults.

• Seasonal depression in full swing with the shortest days of the year taking place in mid-late December.

• Those prone to feeling isolated or lonely, as time away from friends can be more challenging for some than it is for others.

This is all to say — it’s unlikely that you’ll know all of the intricacies that go into which players will enjoy or struggle with the holidays. Being a consistent source of support and an agent in your athletes’ development might mean giving everyone space and time to experience and process the time they have at home, with their families, and celebrating the holidays as much as feasibly possible.

The holiday season is a good opportunity for your program to encourage anyone who may be struggling (especially with the risk factors listed above) to seek help during this time — and provide them with the resources and information to do so.

A Note About Volunteering

Talk about killing multiple birds with 1 stone — finding opportunities to volunteer has unanimously positive benefits.

• Organizations and people in need could use the support

• The act of volunteering is gratifying, rewarding in itself, and will make you feel good

• Volunteering with others (i.e. a team experience) helps practice program values, demonstrate those values publicly, and is a great relationship-building experience

Holistic Athlete Services

If you haven’t done so already, sign up for the 11 module Coaches Education Course! Contact me for a discount code

Also if you haven’t already, please sign up for a Zoom call for you and your staff to discuss the specific needs of your team, to asses what services may benefit you, to review content from the course, and to discuss any challenges with athlete’s you’re experiencing.