With the arrival of the holidays, calendars fill up quickly with special activities, family gatherings, and fun times with friends. It is a season of thanksgiving and joy, but when dealing with depression and anxiety, it can be difficult to focus on the positives.
“If you're not in a good place mentally, it spills over into your physical health, relationships, job, environment, and how you interact with others,” says Rebekah Turner, dual Board-Certified Psychiatric and Family Nurse Practitioner with Mind and Body HealthCare. “By having good mental health care, people are able to have the capacity to connect with their friends and loved ones, appreciate each other, and have a sense of gratitude.”
Being mentally healthy allows people to help and enjoy time with others while also prioritizing self-care throughout the holidays. “Having good mental health helps you find that balance between having healthy engagements with friends, family, and all the events that come with the holidays without overextending and then creating a lot of stress,” explains Rebekah. “It also helps you set boundaries knowing that you know you can say no, and then at the same time, not trying to isolate. It is finding that balance between having healthy relationships with people and a healthy relationship with yourself so that you can enjoy the holidays and not be so stressed.”
For people feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or depressed heading into the holidays, help is available. Mind and Body HealthCare has an experienced team of medical professionals who want to help. “Sometimes it's just a matter of getting started and getting that appointment made,” Rebekah encourages. “We can talk about things that are bothering you, areas that need improvement, and how we can work together to create a solid plan that is going to help.”
With certifications in both family and mental health medicine, Rebekah uses a variety of assessments and screenings to get to the root of the issues. “Whether it's anxiety, depression, ADHD, or whatever it may be, we can create a treatment plan that may or may not include medication,” she explains. “Then, we use other methods such as positive thought reframing and positive affirmations, as well as learning grounding and deep breathing techniques that help. We also explore if you need to set boundaries with people and how to have healthy boundaries.”
An aspect of mental health that many people overlook is the connection to physical health, including the fluctuation of hormones. By taking a holistic approach to healthcare, Rebekah incorporates modalities for mental, physical, and hormone health and helps patients understand how it all works together.
“Doing things that are healthy for our body is also going to be healthy for our minds. So we focus on finding time during the day to practice mindfulness, fit in exercise or walks, and establish good sleep hygiene to ensure we are well rested,” she says. “We want to take that holistic approach and make sure that we're addressing physical things, mental things, and lifestyle choices. All those things work together for a healthy life and overall well-being.”
Whether it is during the holidays or throughout the year, the goal is finding the best strategies to improve patients’ mental and physical health and helping them move from simply surviving to a life that is balanced and thriving. Overall well-being provides the freedom to enjoy time celebrating the holidays, create lasting memories with loved ones, and end each day with a sense of fulfillment and gratitude.
Mind and Body HealthCare is located at 5460 Ward Rd. Suite 360 in Arvada. For more information on services and appointments, visit www.mindandbodyhealthco.com, or call/text 720-853-1300, or email info@mindandbodyhealthco.com.
“By having good mental health care, people are able to have the capacity to connect with their friends and loved ones, appreciate each other, and have a sense of gratitude.”