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winter blues

Stop Shaking the Snow Globe! You Can Get Thru a Holiday Blizzard

Every year we often have one wish, a white Christmas! Well, what we likely didn’t have in mind was
a once-in-a-generation blizzard. It can be overwhelming and anxiety inducing having to plan and prepare
for a storm to take place when we were already working on preparing for the holidays. Luckily, you are
not alone, and we will all get through this together.

Here are some tips on dealing with anxiety about the storm and the holidays.

With so many sources of weather updates, it is important to find one that works for you and ensure
you are checking for updates. The unknown is a common trigger for anxiety and staying up to date on
the weather can help reduce this.

While we have no control over what the weather does, we can control how we respond to that. Instead of being stuck in a panic of “what do I do,” we can create a plan for our household and how we will manage.

Find a weather source you trust and tune in. There are a lot of resources showing how to prepare for certain aspects of storms, for example, power outages, travel bans, etc. We can help to reduce our anxiety for the unknown by preparing for certain circumstances, giving us more control over the situation.

Talk it out! If you are feeling anxious about what is going on, talk about it. Friends, family, partners, whoever
you feel comfortable with, use them as a sounding board. Express your fears and concerns and create a
plan together. Having support can make you feel like you are not the only one dealing with the situation
and they can help you through it.

Really…make the best of it. The holidays alone bring on a lot of unwanted anxiety and stress and adding a storm on top of that can make things even more overwhelming. Plans being canceled and not being able to see your family,
stores being closed when you needed to finish shopping, feeling trapped at home, and even losing
power. It all can feel like a lot to deal with. While we may not be celebrating this year how we intended
to, we can still make the best of what is going on.

Snuggle up. Create a cozy environment and soak up the chance to just sit back and enjoy those who are around you. Keep in touch with family and friends, see how they are spending their time and use that as inspiration. Don’t be afraid to ask for support from others around you. During the holidays we often forget what it is truly about, coming together and showing you care for one another.

There’s always tomorrow...Celebrations can be pushed off to other days and although it may be a different day than originally planned, the spirit and meaning behind the celebrations will still remain once we are through the storm.

If your anxiety is really overwhelming you, Spectrum Health is always a phone call away.

Stay safe, warm and well.

Kristina Moore, RN

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