While the holidays can bring a lot of comfort and joy, the can also be a stressful time and Florida’s health management entities are providing some helpful tips to deal with yuletide anxiety.

There are seven behavioral health managing entities in the state and all of them are aware that stress heading into Christmas and New Year’s Day can seem overwhelming at times. They’re advising balance may be one of the key elements in dealing with the holidays.

“The holidays are a time of joy, but they can also be a time of stress, sadness and triggering situations,” said Natalie Kelly, CEO of the Florida Association of Managing Entities. “Florida’s behavioral health Managing Entities remind Floridians that behavioral health services are available, even to those who are uninsured or underinsured.”

The state’s behavioral health professionals are also providing a list of tips to help come to grips with any holiday tension including:

— Get plenty of exercise. Exercising boosts your mood and combats depression.

— Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol is a depressant that can cause feelings of anxiety, sadness and depression.

— Set healthy boundaries and don’t overextend yourself. Setting realistic expectations can help reduce stress.

— Seek the help of a counselor for mental health needs. If you feel overwhelmed or the need to get help to address your feelings, contact a counselor.

— Call 2-1-1 if needed to connect with resources in your community.

— Call 9-8-8 if you or a loved one is having suicidal thoughts.

A mental-health treatment network has been established in the state for providers who deliver services to residents needing help. Those services extend to parents and children, veterans and the homeless.

Providers serve patients for not only mental health needs, but substance use, housing, transportation and employment help. Those managing entities are often overseen by community organizations and administrators and are accountable to state and federal funds.

Two Florida county commissions are getting new members.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed two new county commissioners this month. One is taking a seat on the Lee County Board of Commissioners. The other will assume a seat on the Holmes County Commission.

DeSantis appointed Patricia “Trish” Petrosky to the Lee County Commission, home to Fort Myers. Petrosky is replacing Mike Greenwell.

Greenwell served on the District 5 seat of the County Commission since July 2022. That’s when DeSantis appointed Greenwell to that panel. Greenwell would rise to Chairman of the Lee County Commission in 2024 and he was reelected to that post that year. But he passed away Oct. 9 after a battle with cancer and there were memorial services in Lee County. DeSantis also ordered American and Florida flags to fly at half staff on Oct. 21.

Greenwell was with the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball organization for about a dozen years. That franchise has Spring Training operations in Fort Myers and Greenwell returned to Lee Countyt to raise a family and entered local business.

Petrosky is the Executive Assistant at Evangelical Christian School in Fort Myers. She also was a former realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and was a member of the Naples Area Board of Realtors Association.

Meanwhile in Holmes County, DeSantis has appointed Charles “Wade” Ellenburg to that County Commission.

Ellenburg fills the District 2 seat on the Holmes County board after Brandon Newsom was suspended from the panel this year following felony charges. Newsom was involved allegations of violating bail bond laws in the Northwest Florida county that boarders the Georgia state line, according to a report in the Holmes County News.

Ellenburg is a farmer in Holmes County and is a member of the Florida Farm Bureau Holmes County Board of Directors. He also serves on the Fruit and Vegetables State Advisory Board for that bureau. Ellenburg was also elected to the Holmes County Value Adjustment Board this year.

The General Counsel of the Republican National Lawyers Association (RLNA) is a Florida lawyer who’s getting another crack at the position.

Ben Gibson was reappointed this month to the General Counsel’s job of the RLNA. Gibson was lauded by the Republican Party of Florida for the top legal position in the organization that represents the conservative-leaning legal eagles.

Even Power, Under Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said in a news release, Gibson has already been instrumental in building effective legal teams across the U.S. and provided victories for the party regarding Florida’s election laws.

“Ben Gibson is one of the best Republican lawyers in the nation. He has delivered big wins for Florida and the Republican Party. We are proud of his reappointment to the RNLA and proud that Florida continues to lead the nation in election integrity,” Power said.

The RNLA is a networking organization for lawyers who are Republican and the group’s main objectives include advancing professionalism for practicing lawyers and law students. The group provides networking and legal education for political, government and legislative law. It also advocates for open and fair elections while advancing Republican philosophy. Gibson is also on the Board of Governors for the Executive Committee for the RNLA and is the Chapter Chair of the group.

Beyond his RNLA activities, Gibson is the Managing Partner for the law firm Shutts & Bowen in the Tallassee office. Gibson primarily practices political law and has represented statewide political candidates, Republican Party committees, political committees and nonprofit organizations in litigation, compliance and administrative proceedings on the state and national level.

Gibson was one of Florida’s electors in the presidential election for 2024 and cast his ballot for President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Electoral College. Gibson’s also been the Chief Legal Counsel for the Republican Party of Florida for the past four election cycles.