Managing Mental Health During the Holidays: A Resource Offering

Submitted on Dec 19, 2025 by The Well Project

Woman holding a sparkler in front of her.

©iStock.com/humanmade

Whatever the individual reasons, whether the cold of winter in the northern hemisphere or the stress of this so-called festive season, many people's mental health suffers during the holidays. Further, studies show that women in the general population are already twice as likely as men to experience depression, and women living with HIV across the gender spectrum are even more likely to experience mental health challenges. While these statistics are stark, they can also be reminders that women living with HIV and managing their mental health are not alone.

The Well Project has a rich collection of resources about mental health, tailored for women living with HIV. Members of our community have also used our website to speak, write, and consult with other experts about mental health concerns and how they respond.

We offer this roundup of classic resources, curated by editorial director Olivia G. Ford and newly updated for the 2025 season, as a holiday gift to our beloved community. We hope you will make The Well Project a part of your support system, in this season and throughout the year.

Yours,
The Well Project Team

Facts, Tips, and Activities

Coping with Mental Health around the Holidays

The 25th episode of A Girl Like Me LIVE was a candid, vulnerable conversation with host Ciarra "Ci Ci" Covin and community advisory board members Heather O'Connor and Masonia Traylor, exploring ways to manage depression, anxiety, finances, family responsibilities, and other stressors during the holidays. 

Sharing the Journey from Stigma to Mindfulness

Louise Vallace, founder of Aunty Lou's House and a community advisory board member and blogger with The Well Project, became a practitioner of mindfulness meditation and yoga following her HIV diagnosis. Louise guides listeners through a mindfulness session, and shares how these practices changed her life, in a video version of her presentation on the topic from the International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2024) in Munich, Germany.

Read about Louise's yoga practice and its benefits: How Yoga Helps Me, by Aunty Lou's House on A Girl Like Me

Combating Loneliness and Isolation with HIV: Building A Village

In this episode of A Girl Like Me LIVE, The Well Project's stakeholder liaison, Bridgette Picou, LVN, ACLPN, was joined by long-time The Well Project collaborator and fierce advocate, Gina Brown, RSW, to discuss different types of loneliness, factors unique to women that can increase these feelings, and the importance of building community.

ART Therapy

"Call it a brain break, a spiritual separation, or an emotional escape—I've learned they are critical to mental health," writes Bridgette Picou (blogging as Red40something) of the release she finds in painting, making jewelry, and other forms of creativity. "Don't be scared to try something new. It doesn't have to be perfect to be just right. If not art, some hobby or venture that allows you to be in a moment that is not tied to HIV, or responsibility to anyone but yourself."

Get the Facts: Caring for Your Whole Self

This collection of materials features tools and perspectives to support women's holistic wellness and overall well-being, and offers additional resources alongside our newest wellness pamphlet, Get the Facts: Caring for Your Whole Self. Download a printable PDF of the pamphlet, or order free print copies for your organization.

Perspectives

My Special Tree Stand

"[T]here is so little in this world that actually comforts me, so this stand is very special to me," writes blogger and community advisory board emerita member Katie Willingham. "I hope your family is as lucky as to have special traditions like my tree stand, and I hope you have something special to comfort you when holidays are hard."

Read Katie's account of being estranged from her family of origin during a past holiday season: Back in the Saddle, by KatieAdsila on A Girl Like Me

Navigating Grief, HIV Stigma, and Sobriety

"To anyone reading this who may be struggling with grief, depression, addiction, or isolation please know this: you are not alone," writes blogger Girlpozitive at the end of a devastating year. "Help and healing are possible. It starts with one act of surrender and one conversation with someone you trust."

Finding Home Again: Faith, Healing, and Grace Through Life's Hardest Seasons

"This holiday season, while many are wrapping gifts and gathering with loved ones, I find myself walking through a different kind of transition — one filled with endings, beginnings, and a quiet, steady determination to choose faith over fear," blogger Godsbabi writes, a little over a year after her HIV diagnosis.

We Don't Survive Quietly — We Burn Brighter Than the Wreckage

Blogger Cupcake80 delivers a powerful, lyrical reminder to women living with HIV that "we are not fragile — we are forged. 🔥✨."

Winter Has Me Over It, but in a New Way...

"Changing our mindset to use the winter months as literal rest and mental hibernation gives us the emotional and physical strength to emerge as the HIV leaders and empowered consumers we are in the New Spring," writes blogger arnoldmom.