THRIVE During the Holidays: With Mindset Rule 3 — and Marvin the “Mental Health Warrior” Cat’s Crew

I was downtown last Saturday morning, minding my own business and trying to convince myself that peppermint-flavored everything is a good idea, when I heard a suspicious clinking noise coming from the town gazebo.

It wasn’t Santa’s sleigh. It wasn’t carolers. It wasn’t even a rogue Salvation Army kettle escaping its post again.

No. It was Marvin the “Mental Health Warrior” Cat.

There he was — ten feet up a ladder — wrapping garland around the gazebo like he was decorating the Rockefeller tree. Except the garland wasn’t normal garland. It had tiny Warrior Challenge Coins tied into it every foot or so, like shimmering reminders that even holiday chaos can be conquered.

“Marvin,” I called. “It’s November. Isn’t it a bit early?”

Marvin looked down at me, offended. “Bruce,” he said, “Warriors don’t wait for the holidays to overwhelm them. We strategize. We plan. We get ahead of the fruitcake.”

Behind him, the rest of his crew — Percy the “PTSD” Platypus, Doug the “Depressed” Dog, Samantha the “Stressed-Out” Squirrel and Andy the “Anxious” Aardvark — were sorting boxes labeled "Holiday Warrior Operations."

Apparently, they’d been planning their holiday survival strategy for weeks.

“The secret?” Marvin announced, puffing his chest fur with pride. “Mindset Rule 3: Talk About It. 

It’s part of the starter Mindset Rules in your book, I Triumphed over Bipolar, Alcoholism and Anxiety Disorder by Becoming a Mental Health Warrior.”

He pointed at me with his tail. “Holiday stress. Holiday joy. Holiday chaos. We talk about all of it, so it doesn’t take us down.”

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Marvin Knows My Story

Marvin knows my story — and he’s been a Warrior ever since the day we met. He knows how, for 20 years, I battled Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD. He knows those challenges left me feeling so powerless that I tried to end my life. But in those darkest moments, I discovered something life-changing: mental health is the key to overcoming any challenge.

Armed with that knowledge, I created the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold new SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge. So you can take charge of your emotions, triumph over your challenges and build the life you really want.

Mindset Rule 3, Talk About It, exists because when I finally started talking honestly about what I felt, what I battled and what I feared… that’s when healing began. That’s when the Warrior in me finally woke up.

And Marvin? He and his crew have been taking action ever since. In fact, he gave me three powerful ways his crew uses Mindset Rule 3 to THRIVE (not just survive) during the holidays.

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Way 1: Brave Boundaries for Holiday Crowds

Percy the “PTSD” Platypus isn’t exactly a fan of crowds. Big gatherings sometimes trigger old memories and send his mind sprinting toward fight-or-flight mode. Holidays? Well… let’s just say Percy has vanished behind more Christmas trees than ornaments.

But this year Percy tried something bold: He talked about it.

He sat his friends down—including Marvin, who immediately took notes like an overzealous therapist—and said: “Look… big crowds overwhelm me. I want to be with you all, but I need boundaries so I don’t disappear halfway through the cookie swap.”

And guess what happened?

His crew listened. They adjusted. They made a plan for events that fit Percy’s comfort zone — a smaller tree lighting, a quiet café brunch and absolutely zero visits to the mall on Saturday. Talking about it didn’t just ease his anxiety… it protected his power.

Our Turn:

I use this same approach in my own Warrior life. PTSD and anxiety used to hijack me during loud, chaotic events — holiday parties, packed stores, even simple family gatherings. I’d push myself to “just deal with it,” stay quiet and pretend everything was fine… until it wasn’t. The pressure would build, the noise would spike and suddenly the challenge was in charge, not me!

But when I finally started talking about it — openly, honestly and without shame — everything changed.

People understood. They adjusted. They supported me. The holiday season stopped feeling like an obstacle course and started feeling like something I could actually enjoy.

That’s the power of Mindset Rule 3 — talking about it doesn’t weaken you. It arms you!

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Way 2: Turning Holiday Blues into Warrior Wins

Doug the “Depressed” Dog has a habit of staring out windows dramatically, sighing like someone stole his last cookie. Holidays make it worse. He feels like he’s not getting anywhere — at work, in life or with his dreams.

“It’s hard to enjoy twinkle lights,” he told us, “when your brain keeps whispering that you’re failing.”

But Doug did something different this season. He told his friends how he felt. And by saying the words out loud, something shifted. He realized that depression was lying to him (as it often does). He was making progress. He did have people who cared. And he could enjoy the holidays even if he wasn’t where he wanted to be yet.

Talking made it real. Talking made it visible. Talking helped him see the truth!

Our Turn:

I know that battle well. Depression used to convince me I was stuck, broken or falling behind — especially during the holidays when everyone else seemed joyful, productive or effortlessly put together. Meanwhile, I felt like I was barely keeping my head above water.

But when I stopped letting these thoughts swirl in my head — I spoke them out loud to people I trusted. And the moment I did, those heavy thoughts lost their power.

I began to see progress I’d overlooked. Steps I was taking. People who were there for me. Small wins that were buried under the noise of self-doubt.

Talking about it gave me clarity. Clarity gave me truth. Truth gave me strength.

And during the holidays — when depression likes to whisper its loudest lies — that clarity is a gift. Talking doesn’t erase the struggle, but it puts the Warrior back in the driver's seat. It reminds you that even if you’re not where you want to be yet, where you are today is enough.

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Way 3: Recharging in a Busy Season

Andy the “Anxious” Aardvark is basically a jittering ball of anxiety wrapped in a scarf. Holiday season? Every noise, every errand, every “we should do one more thing” sends him into emotional hyperspeed.

So he used Mindset Rule 3. He talked to his friends and said, “I can’t go at full speed for 30 days straight. I need two days this season just for me.”

And no one got upset. No one judged. No one said he was being selfish. Because he talked about it. They celebrated it. They even helped him plan his “Recharge Days.”

Now Andy gets two calm moments to reset, refocus and be himself. And because he practiced self-care early, he’ll actually enjoy the season — not sprint through it on fumes.

Our Turn:

I’ve lived this one too. Anxiety used to run the entire holiday season for me — every event, every expectation, every “you should come to this” stacking up until I was overwhelmed before December even started. I pushed myself to keep up, to say yes, to stay in motion… and all it did was drain me.

But when I told the people around me what I needed: quiet mornings, space to breathe, slower days, fewer commitments.

And instead of being disappointed or upset, the people in my life understood. They adjusted. They supported me. Because once I talked about it, they could actually help.

Now I plan intentional recharge moments during the holiday rush. I choose when to show up and when to rest. And those choices don’t take away from the season — they protect it.

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Wrap Up

As Marvin hopped down from the gazebo (stepping directly on my shoe, by the way), he handed me a string of garland covered in Warrior Challenge Coins.

“Hang this up,” he said. “It’s a reminder that talking about your challenges doesn’t make you weak — it makes you a Warrior!”

And he’s right. The holidays can be stressful, overwhelming and emotionally loud. But when you talk about what you feel, what you need and what you fear, you take back control. You protect your peace. You build strength.

Before I left, I reached into my bag and handed Marvin my extra copy of I Triumphed Over Bipolar, Alcoholism and Anxiety Disorders by Becoming a Mental Health Warrior.

He flipped through it, nodded, and said, “Good. I’ll need this. I plan on quoting myself all season.” Typical Marvin.

So today, as the lights flicker on, the coins shimmer and the official Mental Health Warrior Holiday Season begins, remember Mindset Rule 3 — Talk About It.

Then take action. Protect your power. And THRIVE during the holidays!

Bruce Schutter

Every day is a chance to choose strength — because YOU'RE IN CHARGE!