Calm Through Gratitude: How to Ease Anxiety This Holiday Season

Watch the latest webinar from The Break Room, our exclusive series for Premise Health members, to learn how practicing gratitude in the face of anxiety can help you gain a little peace during the holiday season. You’ll hear from our own Amanda Rivera, Licensed Independent Social Worker, as she discusses how gratitude can help support your mental health during this chaotic time. In “Calm Through Gratitude: How to Ease Anxiety This Holiday Season,” Amanda walks you through the physical and mental benefits of gratitude and guides you through shifting your mindset so that you can move past emotions like stress and anxiety without feeling like you have to “smile through” them.

The Benefits of a Gratitude Practice

Scientific research has shown that maintaining a daily gratitude practice can have positive effects on your physical and mental health, including improved sleep, decreased depression and a lowered risk of disease.

However, the rigors of the holiday season can make it difficult to get into a grateful mindset. The pressures of gift giving, attending many different events, dealing with problematic family members and more can make you feel like you’re trapped in a whirlwind. On top of it all, this time of year is typically seen as “the most wonderful,” so much so that it can feel wrong to be anything other than happy, which only adds to the stress.

Practicing gratitude can help you slow down in that whirlwind by becoming mindful and bringing your focus to the present moment. In doing so, you can “ride the waves” of the negative emotions, so that you can move past them with a clearer mind. By taking a little time every day to practice gratitude, you can shape your thoughts and gain some peace during busy times.

How Premise Health Can Help with Mental Health Support

If you’re a member, or believe you may be a member, reach out to your employer to learn more about the benefits available to you through Premise – you may have access to mental health services! If you don’t, your primary care provider can offer support and refer you to additional resources in your community as needed. 

If you’re an employer, contact us today to find out how we can support your employees and improve your workplace. No matter your industry, mental health and wellness offerings can help your people feel better and be more productive while at work. At Premise, we take a prevention-focused approach and will work with your human resources team to develop wellness programs that fit the needs of your organization.