Mental Health Newsletter
December 2025
This newsletter is designed to connect you with Mental Health Information. The information and resources can be utilized for yourself, students, or share with colleagues.
Warning Signs
- Changes in school performance
- Excessive worry or anxiety, for instance fighting to avoid bed or school
- Hyperactive behavior
- Frequent nightmares
- Frequent disobedience or aggression
- Frequent temper tantrums
Common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:
- Excessive worrying or fear
- Feeling excessively sad or low
- Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
- Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
- Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
- Avoiding friends and social activities
- Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
- Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
- Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
- Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality)
- Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia)
- Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
- Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
- Thinking about suicide
- Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
- An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance
Mental Health and the Holidays
The holiday season is often described as “the most wonderful time of the year,” but for many it can also be the most stressful and challenging. According to one study, 38% of people say the holidays cause increased stress, depression and anxiety. From family gatherings to financial pressures, the holiday season can take a toll on your mental health.
Understanding Holiday Stress
- Recognizing common stressors during the holidays
- Differentiating between holiday stress and mental health challenges
- Identifying early signs of mental health challenges
Prioritizing Self-care
- Practicing self-care during the holidays
- Practicing self-care to maintain mental health
Setting Realistic Expectations
- Managing holiday-related expectations
- The importance of staying present and getting started with a mindfulness practice
Managing Time and Finances
- Effective time and financial management during the holiday season
- Creating a holiday budget and calendar that helps reduce stress
Focusing on Physical Health and Nutrition
- Maintaining physical wellbeing and balanced nutrition during the holidays
- Incorporating exercise and movement in your daily routine
Coping With Loneliness and Grief
- Coping with loneliness, grief and loss during the holidays
- Finding support and staying connected
Embracing Joy and Gratitude
- Finding moments of joy and gratitude to reduce feelings of stress
- Creating your own holiday traditions
- Practicing gratitude exercises
Seeking Support
- Seeking help when needed
- Locating programs and professionals who can assist you
Giving Back
- Spreading kindness and goodwill during the holidays
- Opportunities to make a positive impact on your community
1000 Hours Outside
In Episode 611 with Tim Elmore, we talk about why employers say “26 is the new 18.” Teens today are brilliant with technology, yet many are struggling to launch. Tim explains that growing up in a high-pressure, highly curated world has led to a strange paradox: childlikeness has faded while childishness has expanded. Kids seem older sooner, but they feel equipped later.
Then in Episode 613, Mike McLeod returns to say plainly: today’s mental health crisis is not a child problem, it’s an adult-built environment. When life becomes hyper-scheduled, hyper-digital, and hyper-stimulating, kids lose the foundation they need to develop executive function, the real engine of independence.
Both conversations point to the same solution: kids grow when we return to the basics.
Lapeer County Intermediate School District
Mental Health Coordinator
Alisha Wolfsen, LMSW
Email: awolfsen@lapeerisd.org
Phone: (810) 245-3984
Website: https://www.lapeerisd.org