“How you climb a mountain is more important than reaching the top.”
— Yvon Chouinard

Winter brings new sights, sounds, and activities, along with traditions, rituals, family time, and opportunities to connect with others during the holiday season. The holidays are a lovely time of year for many, but can also be challenging and triggering to our health. While we manage bustling schedules it is even more vital that we attend to well-being and hold awareness and intention when it comes to mental health. It can be easy to get caught up, to lose track of how we’re feeling, to potentially dissociate at highly stimulating gatherings, or to tune out to factors that can impact our sense of calm and leave us dysregulated.

Nature and adventure offer a bounty of ways to connect to ourselves and tune in. We talked to the AR Crew to get some tips on how to support ourselves during this time. May they serve you and yours as you embrace the winter season and celebrate together.

Mental Health and Holidays

Holidays can be downright hard, especially for folks who’ve lost family members or friends, have obligations that can activate painful memories or feelings, or simply for those struggling with mental health challenges. We all have moments. You are not alone. These experiences can be isolating but when we share our vulnerability with trusted friends or loved ones, we remind ourselves we are not solitary in our experiences. What’s more, when we connect, our physiology reaps the reward as we release beneficial hormones and neurotransmitters that can initiate the “feel-good” healthy hormone result we seek. From day to day, it’s about applying the practices we know work.

*A snow mandala from a client excursion*

How to Support Mental Health Over the Holidays

Get outside. Yeah, we hear you, this one is obvious. But at this time of year, it can be easy to get cozy and want to stay cuddled-up by the fire with your favorite pet or a book. Pushing through any resistance actually builds self-esteem and inspires consistency. There are many ways to go outdoors but some of our winter favorites are: skiing, xc skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, building an igloo or quinzhee hut, winter hiking, polar plunge, and surfing. The act of going, no matter what the weather, instills positive reinforcement of your goals and obligations and it’s always a perfect time to get up and out.
Light it up. A fire is a powerful way to attune to the surroundings and slow down. It also motivates us to put down that phone and look up. Neanderthal TV is what some call it. There is not a large body of research related to the physiological and psychological impact of fire, but one study reveals interesting results, including “significant reductions in blood pressure associated with fire with a naturalistic auditory component, confirming commonly perceived relaxation effects of hearth and campfires.” Fire plays a significant role in outdoor living and the AR Crew performs fire ceremony on the regular throughout the year but during winter fires are especially poignant. Winter and holiday time is a perfect time to think about releasing what no longer serves and igniting desires and goals within, reifying personal commitments. Spark the stoke. “Everyone faces times and situations in life when a problem (often something from the past) rears its head from out of nowhere and throws a thunderbolt of havoc into the seeming serene present day…It can create a level of anxiety that shakes us to our core. What do we do? How do we handle this? Will we get through it? It is in times like these that I turn to the tools (both physical and emotional) of the fire ceremony, in gratitude,” says AR Executive Director, Josh Flaherty, LMSW.
Breathe deep. Breathing is often unconscious to our awareness. But when we notice the breath and focus our attention, we can modify how we feel significantly. Our National Field Director, Nate Bennick, features breath work as a key component of training, especially during rock climbing trainings. “Imagine the different ways we breathe. In times of stress, breathing may be rapid—our bodies may feel constricted—chest compressed and tight. When we slow down and open the heart center, taking the breath in slowly and deeply to the belly, we can activate the parasympathetic nervous system in order to relax. Rhythmic, slow, heavy sighs during intentional breathing also allow us to find a sense of composure within stressful moments in life. We can apply conscious breathing at any time. This can be as simple as counting to four on the inhale, four on the exhale, and gently bring the mind back to a state of calm. These methods allow us to find our center and ground,” says Nate.
Nurture the spirit. Cooking is a way to tune in to ourselves and loved ones through the senses. In addition, it brings us into the immediate moment. For some, sitting around the fire and roasting vegetables or a hearty steak on the coals is the way to go. We love to cook this way at camp, sharing meals around the hearth and participating together. Others may prefer more traditional holiday fare, such as baking gingerbread or roasting nuts. The heartwarming process of using recipes from family members, activating the sense of smell and taste, and enjoying the fruits of our labor uplifts. Research shows that cooking is a helpful intervention to boost mood, elevate resilience, and fortify one’s sense of interconnectedness and agency.
Connect with others. Another obvious one, perhaps, but reaching out to others and spending time together in nature is a perfect way to nurture our sense of belonging and purpose. The evidence-based practice of community building, outside, is tried and true. When we share time with another we remember the greater context of our lives and get outside of our own heads. As cerebral beings, thinking can often dominate, but going for a walk with a friend or skiing with family brings us into direct connection and quiets the ruminating brain. This is good medicine, always.

If you or someone you love is having a challenging time, please remember you are not on your own. There is always help available and there are basic ways to serve yourself and support someone in need. May you and yours know you are loved.