✨ Time to Put Your Out of Office On ✨

Hello everyone!

I hope this message finds you well amidst the busyness of the holiday season. In this month’s newsletter, we’ll explore unplugging for the holidays, holiday movies that normalize mental health, and gentle ways to navigate family dynamics and seasonal stress. As always, I hope you find something here that feels supportive and resonates with you. Wishing you a warm, grounded, and gentle holiday season.

Thank you for being here; I’m so grateful for you!

All the best,

Mandy

MENTAL HEALTH CHECK-IN
Five Ways to Unplug for the Holidays

In the last newsletter, we discussed setting healthier boundaries with others during the holiday season. As we approach a full week of holidays, I thought it might be helpful to revisit another important piece of boundary setting, our relationship with work.

If you find it difficult to step away from emails or fully shut off your “work brain,” you’re not alone. Below are a few gentle strategies to help you unplug and create more space for what feels meaningful to you this holiday season:

1. Identify and complete major tasks: Before stepping away, identify any priority tasks that truly need to be completed. Finishing these can reduce lingering stress and make it easier to rest without mentally carrying unfinished work with you.

2. Empty your inbox and set your “out of office” message: Clearing your inbox as much as possible and turning on an out of office reply can provide reassurance that people know you’re unavailable, and help you stay accountable to truly honoring that time away.

3. Set clear work-life boundaries: Define your work hours and commit to them. This might look like shutting your laptop at a specific time, silencing notifications, or resisting the urge to check emails after hours.

4. Reflect on and celebrate what you’ve accomplished: Take a moment to acknowledge what you’ve done this year or this season. Pausing to recognize your efforts, instead of immediately focusing on what’s next, can help you feel more grounded and proud.

5. Write down what feels most important to you this holiday season: Clarifying your values can make it easier to choose rest, presence, and connection. When you’re clear on what matters most, it becomes easier to let go of what can wait.

INSPO
Holiday Movies That Normalize Mental Health

Many of us find comfort and joy in watching holiday movies this time of year. While the holidays can be filled with celebration and connection, they can also bring up grief, loneliness, anxiety, stress, and relationship challenges. One of the beautiful things about movies is their ability to tell human stories that reflect emotions we may struggle to put into words ourselves.

Below are a few holiday favorites that touch on mental health themes and remind us that what we’re feeling is often more common than we realize.

The Holiday

Themes: Relationship struggles, burnout, and self-worth

This movie explores what happens when we stay in relationships that no longer serve us and ignore our own needs. Both main characters are navigating burnout and rediscovering their worth, reminding us that stepping away, resting, and choosing ourselves can be powerful acts of healing.

Elf

Themes: Identity, belonging, and self-acceptance

At its core, Elf is about trying to find where you truly belong. It normalizes feeling “out of place” and reminds us that embracing who we are, even when we don’t fit expectations, can lead to meaningful connection.

The Grinch

Themes: Rejection, loneliness, and reconnection

The Grinch’s story is a powerful reminder of how early experiences of rejection can lead to emotional walls and withdrawal. Through connection and compassion, the film shows that healing and growth is possible and that it’s never too late to let others in.

The Family Stone

Themes: Grief, family dynamics, and relationship stress

This movie captures the complexity of families, especially when grief and unspoken tension are present. It highlights how loss can show up differently for everyone and how vulnerability, though uncomfortable, can deepen connection.

Home Alone 

Themes: Emotional boundaries, independence, and fear of abandonment

Home Alone touches on the experience of feeling overlooked or forgotten within a family. It highlights a child’s resilience while also reminding us how important safety, reassurance, and emotional connection truly are.

LISTEN
🎙️ Holiday Survival Guide I: Ending Family Arguments (with Rainn Wilson)

In this episode of The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos, Dr. Laurie sits down with Rainn Wilson, actor and podcaster, on part one of the holiday series to discuss different topics on how to navigate the holidays. Listen here.

Today’s Affirmation

RESOURCES
Local Toy Drives

• Toys for Tots

• J.O.Y Baltimore

• Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital

• Kennedy Krieger Institute Festival of Trees

If you're in Maryland or DC and looking to discuss therapy options, you can find me at Mindful Therapy Collective.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational and entertainment purposes only and it is not a replacement for individualized therapy.