Mental Health at Home for the Holidays
How often do you go over mental health strategies with your family?
50 percent of people are operating under the notion that they simply are the way they are; they can’t change themselves, or don’t believe people can change. They don’t understand the serious and significant ways they have been affected by their childhood, family history, and their experiences, so they unknowingly repeat the same patterns.
Your family and your childhood have a huge impact on your mental health and, more specifically, your mental health strategies in adulthood. While the assumption may be that you’ve developed “negative” mental health strategies, good and bad traits and habits are developed from a young age.
It’s up to you to guide the state of your mental health. And, this holiday season, I encourage you to start the conversation around family health at the dinner table.
A Holiday Conversation Starter
The holiday season often lends itself to more family dinners and table conversations ranging from awkward to meaningful or controversial.
As a mental health professional, I see this time of year as an opportunity to address family health. I understand it may be a nerve-wracking topic to address. However…
We all have, deep within our souls, extraordinary power and resilience to be excavated and expressed. And that includes our families.
I’ve compiled a list of conversation starters on family health and mental health strategies, designed to make table talk a bit less awkward.
Family Health Conversation Starters
- What memory from your childhood stands out the most to you? Why?
- What do you miss from childhood, and what do you feel relieved to be separated from?
- What is one negative and one positive habit you picked up from your childhood?
- What negative habits do you believe run in the family?
- What positive habits are common in our family?
- What mental health strategies are you currently working on? Which ones do you need help with?
- What does achieving mental health look like for you?
- What habits or factors are in the way of achieving peak family health? What steps do we need to take to sidestep those hindrances?
These conversation starters may be uncomfortable to begin with. However, good family health starts with intentional, meaningful conversation. Many of your family members, possibly you included, are inadvertently trapped in a mental prison. Overcoming fear and starting these valuable conversations will be a game-changer for your family’s health.
Mental Health is Meaningful
Meaningful mental health strategies don’t have to be grand gestures. They can look like quiet reflection after a family conversation, a walk with a loved one, or making therapy part of your family’s norm. They might be as simple as naming your feelings out loud or practicing deep breathing before you respond in frustration.
These small practices lay the groundwork for something much bigger: generational healing, emotional safety, and authentic connection.
Remember: You cannot change what you are unaware of.
That’s why I encourage you to seek these challenging conversations and investigate all labels and unresolved habits that have lingered over generations.
These are acting as unconscious limitations and self-fulfilling prophecies. They are boxes that don’t encompass the whole of you and your family. Start moving away from them and pursue the freedom to choose!
This holiday season, take a moment to reflect:
- How often do you go over mental health strategies with your family?
- What family patterns do you want to heal?
- How can you show up as a safe space for mental health at home?
Start with one question. One conversation. One strategy.
Remember, you’re not trying to change your whole family overnight. You’re offering a new rhythm — one rooted in empathy, curiosity, and respect. And the ripple effect is powerful. One small shift can help your family create new patterns that support better mental health for years to come.
Every step toward healthier dialogue is a step toward stronger family health. Make this season the start of something deeper, more intentional, and more connected.
Need Support Starting the Conversation?
If conversations around family health and mental health strategies feel overwhelming or unfamiliar, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to navigate it alone either.
As a mental health professional, I help individuals and families:
- Recognize the impact of family patterns on their mental health.
- Develop practical conversation starters and mental health strategies that work at home.
- Build consistent, meaningful habits around communication and self-care.
- Approach the holiday season with clarity, connection, and peace of mind.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or just need help refining your approach, I can walk with you through this journey.
Interested in getting started? Contact me today.
You have the power to break cycles, spark change, and lead your family toward healthier, more open conversations this holiday season and beyond.
