Strategies for Dealing with Holiday Blues
While the holiday blues are usually temporary, these ideas
can help make the holiday experience more pleasant and less stressful.
- Be realistic. Don’t expect the
holiday season to solve all past problems. The forced cheerfulness of the
season cannot ward off sadness or loneliness.
- Drink less alcohol. Drinking
alcohol gives you a temporary feeling of well-being, but it is a
depressant and never makes anything better.
- Give yourself permission to not feel
cheerful. Accept how you are feeling. Tell others how you are feeling
and what you need.
- Have a spending limit and stick to it.
Look for holiday activities that are free. Go window shopping. Look for
ways to show people you care without spending a lot.
- Be honest. Express your feelings
to those around you in a constructive, honest and open way. Begin
sentences with “I feel…”
- Look for sources of support. Many
mental health centers, churches and synagogues offer support groups,
workshops, and other activities designed to help people deal with the
holiday blues.
- Give yourself special care.
Schedule time to relax and pamper yourself.
- Set limits and priorities. Be
realistic about what you will be able to accomplish. Prepare a “To-Do”
list.
- Volunteer. If you will be alone,
volunteer to work at a hospital, shelter or food bank.
- Get some exercise. Exercise has a
positive impact on depression because it boosts serotonin levels.