The holiday season can often be a mix of joy and stress. While we look forward to many traditions, as the pandemic drags on with new variants, we’re forced to find ways to reinvent or possibly postpone family gatherings.
Mental health advocate and morning show DJ at 103.7 in Milwaukee, WI, Riggs, hosted a Facebook Live with Rogers Behavioral Health experts Adrianne McCullars, PhD, associate clinical director and psychologist at Rogers’ Tampa clinic, and Sue McKenzie Dicks, vice president, healthy culture, to discuss how we can keep our mental health in check.
“We need to get real with ourselves about what we can’t control and put structure in our day that allows us to focus on what we can control,” says Dicks. “One of the things I can control is how much I focus on the negative. Just telling myself to think positively isn’t going to work. One idea is to take the first five minutes of the day to do a gratitude meditation,” she explains.
Whether you or a loved one may be suffering from stress, seasonal affective disorder, or other mental health challenges, maintaining routines and enjoyable activities is important.
“Behavior is one thing you can control,” says Dr. McCullars. “Research is clear that changing your behaviors can help you change your thoughts as well as some of your emotions into more positive or helpful ones,” she says.
Hear more in the video above about how you can care for yourself and others as Rogers’ experts take questions from our Facebook Live viewers.
How Rogers can help
If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health or addition, call our team at 800-767-4411. You can also complete our online confidential screening form.
