Wren McMurdo Brignac

Breaking the silence on mental health during the holidays

This post/video is for all of you, especially those with mental illness.

Despite its wonders, the holidays can be the hardest time of year. In this video, I will share some statistics that help to illuminate the collective energy we share as folks who struggle throughout the holiday season.

I have included some spell and lifestyle suggestions, as well as a Tarot card spread suggestion, at the bottom of this page. I hope they aid you in your trek through any heaviness in November and December.

I hope to encourage you to do what feels right for you, moment by moment, as you navigate the season. Divination, close relationships, and spellwork can offer you the understanding and permission you need to celebrate the season within your mental, emotional, and spiritual capacity.

Hi—I’m Wren. I create art and magickal tools that help to heal deep wounds and reveal intuitive power.

Why do I share this? Because I recently had a complete meltdown on an important family holiday. This is not the first time this has happened. It’s okay. Especially if I can share my experience and know that I’m not alone.

The holidays are a canvas for bringing folklore to life, a timeframe for focusing on loved ones, and a truly magical time of year. It is an ancient human practice to come together to support one another through seasons of darkness, and the holidays serve that very purpose if we are lucky. It is a season of ritual and candle lighting and casting love spells.

For a lot of us, the season of merriment is also reliably challenging. The mounting pressures to make life look and feel like a holiday romantic comedy film. To somehow morph into a master of DIY holiday decor and Pinterest-worthy treats. The pressure to also have a thriving career and a picturesque family. It’s a whole lot.

And by “us” I mean a huge percentage of our population. The American Psychological Association found that forty percent of all individuals’ stress levels increase significantly during the holidays.

As with conventional brains, forty percent of the one in five people with diagnosed mental illness reported that their mental health becomes worse during the holidays, and one in four people with a diagnosed mental illness find that the holidays make their condition “a lot” worse.

There are 52.9 million people living with a diagnosed mental illness in the US. That’s over 21 million having a harder time than usual dealing with their mental health during the holidays, and over 13 million mentally ill people in the US having one hell of a hard time during the holidays. And that number doesn’t even count folks who aren’t diagnosed with mental illness, which is a lot!

Point is, the holidays are hard for a lot of us. To be struggling while so many around us seem to be functioning and thriving can alone be overwhelming. But it’s important to remember that we are not alone, not even a little bit.

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How about you? Leave a comment if you also struggle during the holiday season. Your sharing helps us all not only navigate as a collective but to break stigmas around mental health challenges.

Mental health spell and lifestyle suggestions*:

It’s a wonder we put so much pressure on ourselves to enjoy the holidays in conventional ways. Try to celebrate in your own style. Open your mind by using unconventional holiday colors like black or pink in your scheme if you are up to scheming.
Go to therapy.
Join a support group for people with mental illnesses similar to yours.
If you aren’t up for the holiday hustle, fuck it. That’s a style as well.
Check in on your loved ones. This is a love spell.
Increase your intake of cinnamon and star anise, both of which boost mood and stabilize blood sugar.
Stretch daily before meditating.
Drink rose hip, chamomile, peppermint, and/or chai tea to boost your mood. Coffee can also help as well if your digestive system permits with ease.
Fill a jar with self-love affirmations, as well as the names of all of the people/beings who love and care for you. Add dried rose petals and sugar to the jar. Top the lid of the jar with a pink spell candle and surround it with rose quartz. Light the candle and let it burn down completely in one go.