New Years is a time of reflecting back and planning for the future.  As we look back, we often hope to find meaning in our experiences and direction for the new year.

In today’s look back at the blog Dialectical Behavior Therapy Understood I’m including links to the 5 most popular posts, as well as 5 of my favorite posts for looking forward in the New Year.

The holidays can be both wonderful and painful.  They can remind us to connect with loved ones, but they can also be reminders of connections that we don’t have.

Depending on your circumstances, you might feel frazzled by extra activities and events or lonely and left out of the holiday hustle and bustle.  It can be a time of reflecting back on happy childhood memories or a time of painful reminders of the past.

Do you struggle with explosive anger, self-destructive and impulsive behaviors, substance abuse, and other emotional problems, such as depression and anxiety?

Do emotional and behavioral problems consistently interfere with your life?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive- behavioral therapy for people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, as well as people who have emotion regulation problems and impulse control problems. 

The holidays are a time of goodwill and cheer, but for many, they are also anniversaries of painful life events or trauma.  In advertisements we see happy people sharing good times, but when you’re not surrounded by loved ones, the holidays can be acute reminders of loneliness, disappointment, conflict and loss.

All of this can make the season a time when you are more likely to experience intense emotions.  If you don’t anticipate problems, intense emotion can send you off track and leave you escaping in unhealthy and problematic ways.

Top Ten Relaxation Tips to Sooth your Mind and Body During the Holiday Season

During the holidays we are often surrounded with images of people who are happy, in love and enjoying the whirlwind of their lives.  However, in reality this time of year can be tiring or bring up painful feelings.  Wouldn’t it be nice to get through the season with just a little less stress and a few more moments and calm and peace?

The following tips are designed to help you find relaxation during this busy time and also to improve how you are thinking or feeling about the moment and the season.