This year, Christmas will be really different for most individuals. We include 5 simple tips in this article to help improve our mental health during and after the holiday season of 2020.

Christmas has historically been a time for our nearest and dearest to share food and frolics. This is unlikely to be the case this year for the majority of us. We will need to adapt as travel restrictions and quarantines are in place.

While everybody has been impacted in various ways by the pandemic, there seems to be no question that the population's overall mental health in the United States has deteriorated.

At a time when family and friends are usually the nearest, they're going to be further away this year. As we approach the holiday season, caring for our mental health in a positive way is more important than ever.

We will look at ways of fending off the almost unavoidable blues of a physically distant Christmas in this special feature. The holiday season brings stresses and strains even without a pandemic to contend with, but we need to reflect on the additional challenges this year has brought to us.

It is necessary to make it clear right from the get-go that nothing we provide below can fill the gap or heal the anxiety that COVID-19 has created. Perhaps it might nudge the needle in the right direction, though. Tiny steps taken together, can often yield major benefits.

Here's something to put to the forefront of your mind in the coming days and weeks as much as possible before we dive in:

Scientists learn more every day about how SARS-CoV-2 functions, and vaccines are carried out. Yeah, 2020 is daunting, but we're going to beat COVID-19 with medical science in our armory.

1. Sleep

Without considering sleep, no article on preserving mental wellbeing will be complete. In our modern, neon-lit world, we do not give it the space that it needs. Both of us need to do better.

With our mood, losing sleep interferes. This is intuitive, but evidence also confirms it. "Sleep loss, for example, amplifies the negative emotional effects of disruptive events while reducing the positive effect of goal-enhancing events," one study concludes.

In other words, we are more likely to feel negative when things go wrong if we do not sleep enough, and we are less likely to feel positive when they go well.

Similarly, another study found that after a period of short sleep, "individuals become more impulsive and experience less positive impact." Again, decreased sleep duration appears to dampen mood.

Sleeping a little longer could be a relatively easy way to tip the scales in our favor at a time when the mood of the country is at a low ebb. Click here for guidance on having better sleep.

It should be noted, however that the relationship between sleep and mental health is complex and two-way. Mental health problems can affect the quality of sleep, and mental health can be harmed by a lack of sleep.

2. Keep active

As with sleep, exercise needs to be included in every article that seeks to improve mental health. Forcing ourselves outside will become more difficult as the temperature drops. Scientists have shown that physical activity, both in the short and long term, can increase mood.

For example, a study released in 2019 found a correlation between cardiorespiratory fitness and the risk of common mental health disorders. A meta-analysis from 2018 also concluded that "[a]vailable evidence supports the notion that physical activity can provide protection against the emergence of depression."

Importantly, to achieve mental advantages from exercise, we do not need to run a 4-minute mile. A 2000 study found that short walks of 10-15 minutes improved mood and increased calmness.

So, even if it's a simple thing, like dancing in your kitchen or walking your dog a little longer, it's all significant.

It is true that a hug from a friend or relative can not be replaced by either exercise or sleep, but if our morale is temporarily improved or our overall average mood is enhanced, it could help us better handle disappointment and reframe this challenging year.

3. Addresing loneliness

Loneliness has already become a big characteristic of 2020 for many people. During the Christmas season, focusing on friends and family is likely to exacerbate those feelings of loneliness.

Make an attempt to make contact in order to combat this. Schedule any conversations, whether it's a quick telephone call or a video chat. You're not the only one feeling alone, remember. If in your area it is secure and permissible, meet up somewhere outside with a friend and take a stroll.

In times like these, check in with others-emails, texts, and social media can be helpful. "As opposed to doomscrolling, send a "How are you? "To someone that you lack. They'll probably miss you, too.

Remain occupied. Empty time can slowly move. Listen to new or old music, find a new podcast, pick up the guitar, start drawing again, learn a new talent, or something else. It is less likely that an occupied and engaged mind would focus on solitude.

A recent study showed that during lockdowns and quarantines, individuals who get interested in a fun activity and reach a state of flow fared better. The writers write:

"More positive emotions, less serious depressive symptoms, less loneliness, more healthy behaviors, and less unhealthy behaviors were also reported by participants who reported higher flow."

4. Eat and drink well

Christmas is synonymous with overindulgence in no small part. I don't think it would be rational or realistic to expect individuals to decrease their turkey consumption in all years by 2020.

With that said, there is increasing proof that what we eat affects our mood. A recent review which appears in BMJ, for example, concludes:

"Better mental health is associated with healthy eating habits, such as the Mediterranean diet, than 'unhealthy eating habits, such as the Western diet."

With this in mind, it could help us keep a steady mind to ensure that we eat well in the lead-up to and the days following Christmas.

5. Align expectations

When it comes to this pandemic, not everybody is on the same page. Some people may still be protected, while others may have succumbed to "pandemic fatigue" and prematurely return to normal. Others may also use words such as 'scamdemic' and refuse to wear a mask.

Some members of the family, such as the long distant days of 2019, may press for a family meal. Others might, sensibly, imagine a meal plan based on Zoom.

These role differences have the potential to cause dissatisfaction and increased stress. Clear and frank conversations with family members about what they should expect this year are crucial.

Note, with some luck, a return to some sort of normality can be seen next Christmas. Hopefully, only once will we have to experience this rare and awkward Christmas. Tell "no and stick to your guns if you're not happy with someone's suggested strategy.

With increases in case numbers across most of the U.S., limiting human interaction as much as possible is the most sensible alternative.

Although rules, laws and regulations differ between regions, each person has to make their own decision as to how they behave within the law when it comes to it. Make your own decision to protect your own mental health and do not allow yourself to be railroaded into doing anything that you consider too dangerous.

Unfortunately the best way to celebrate Christmas safely this year is to do it virtually.