Behavior Change Consulting

Everyone at BCC wishes you and your loved ones Happy Holidays! Regardless of what/if you celebrate, we wish the best upon you and hope that you take care of yourself during this polarizing time.

For many people, the Christmas and New Year holidays are something to celebrate and look forward to. This is the time for gifting, spending time with family, and traveling. But for others, this can be one of the most lonely, stressful, and unnerving times of the year.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA) (https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/11/holiday-season-stress), around two in five U.S. adults have said their stress levels increase during this time. Expectations to spend time with family and/or friends, navigating family conflicts, and upholding traditions along with a multitude of other reasons can cause severe stress, anxiety, and depression that many typically don't think about. This surveyed population does not even include the underserved populations, who may not even have family to fall back to, or friends, or a home. The holidays can lead people to turn to potentially harmful coping mechanisms, such as self-isolation, unhealthy eating habits, substance use, etc.

BCC's holiday wish is that we take care of ourselves, our community, and take a moment to spread holiday joy in ways that can also bring joy to others. This can look like making donations for those who do not have access to food during the cold months, or participating in toy drives for kids who cannot experience Santa dropping off presents in their home.

Without our village, our supporters and our friends, BCC would not exist! We are and have always been grateful for our community and those who have trained with us. We could not keep up our work without you all! Thank you for a wonderful year. We look forward to the next!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM MAURICE AND THE BCC FAMILY.

Resources on how to handle the holiday season: https://deconstructingstigma.org/guides/holidays
How to make a difference this holiday season: https://learn.givepulse.com/blog/top-20-ideas-for-giving-back-this-holiday-season