Holiday Survival Mode: Managing Your Needs Bars

It’s late December. If you’re in Ohio or Massachusetts right now, the sky is basically the color of a dead CRT monitor. Between the lack of sunlight and the endless social obligations, it’s easy to feel like you’re wandering the wasteland with 5HP and a broken leg.

When I work with clients, I often talk about your needs bars. During the holidays, we tend to let those bars hit rock bottom while we try to keep everyone else happy. If you’re feeling glitchy lately, it’s time to check your internal inventory.

Watch the Social and Energy Bars

Think of your social bar in the Sims. When it’s red, you’re miserable. But when your energy bar is red, you pass out on the floor.

The holidays create a weird paradox: your social bar is being forced to 100% at family parties, but it’s often low-quality interaction that actually drains your energy. If you’re feeling that incapacitated feeling, it’s because you’re over-leveraged. You are allowed to cancel a plan to stay home and refill your energy bar in peace.

Scavenging for Stimpaks

The holidays are a high-stress encounter. You wouldn't walk into a deathclaw nest without supplies, so don’t walk into a three-day family visit without your stimpaks—those small things that keep you regulated.

That might mean stealing fifteen minutes of solitude to sit in a parked car, putting on noise-canceling headphones, or locking the bathroom door just to breathe. It also means checking your physical inventory. If you’re living on nothing but caffeine and sugar, your mental health doesn't stand a chance.

War Never Changes (But Your Boundaries Can)

Family dynamics often feel like a pre-war holotape—the same arguments and the same questions, played on a loop every year. You can’t change the script, but you can change how much you engage with it.

You don't have to win every argument at the dinner table. Sometimes the best survival strategy is to just disengage, fast-travel out of the conversation, and go find someone (or some game) that makes you feel safe.

The New Year Quest

If you’re struggling to keep your plumbob green this month, take a breath. Survival is a valid goal for December.

I’m currently taking on new clients for virtual therapy in both Ohio and Massachusetts. If you’re looking to start the new year with a better handle on your own needs bars, let’s talk.

You can schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation directly via the link below:

Schedule a Consultation at Dryad Counseling

Stay safe out there.