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 Holiday Depression & Stress
For most people, the holiday season is a time of joy, cheer, and gatherings of friends and family. However, many find it a difficult time of loneliness, reflection of past failures, and anxiety about an uncertain future.
Why Depressed around the Holiday Season?
Fatigue, unrealistic expectations, over-commercialization, financial constraints, and the inability to be with one’s family and friends are just a few reasons why one might be depressed around the holiday season. The demands of shopping, parties, family reunions, and houseguests can also contribute to feelings of stress. People who do not become depressed may develop other stress responses, such as: headaches, excessive drinking, over-eating, and difficulty sleeping. Even more people experience post-holiday depression, which can result from disappointments compounded with the excess fatigue and stress in the months following holiday season.
How to Cope with Stress and Depression during the Holidays
- Keep expectations for the holiday season manageable. Try to set realistic goals for yourself. Pace yourself. Organize your time. Make a list and prioritize the important activities. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Do not put your entire focus on just one day. Remember it is a season of holiday sentiment, and activities can be spread out to lessen stress and increase enjoyment!
- De-commercialize Your Holidays. For many families the "real" meaning of the holidays gets buried in hi-tech presents, credit card debt, shopping at malls. Take the emphasis off of buying lots of gifts and redirect energy towards family, spending time with friends, and rediscovering the meaning of the holidays. Spend time with supportive and caring people. Reach out and make new friends or contact someone you have not heard from for awhile. By saving money on gifts, you won't have a horrifying credit card statement to review in January (what a terrible way to start the new year). Rethink your holidays this year. Throw out some of your old traditions and start some new ones that provide more meaning and spirit to your celebration!
- Watch what you eat. If you struggle with depression and fatigue during the holidays, this is the time to just say no to excess holiday snacks and wine refills. Alcohol and sugar are two holiday "villains" when it comes to depression, fatigue and irritability. Both wreak havoc with your blood sugar system. You might get a quick "lift" from some pie and ice cream. But it may not be long before you find yourself craving a cup of coffee or tea just to help you feel a bit more alert. The reality is "whatever goes up must come down" and that's particularly true of your blood sugar. And as your blood sugar levels crash, so do your energy level and your spirits.
- Go Outside and Exercise. Exercise can play an important role in lifting your spirits and fighting off depression. As an extra bonus, you can get some natural sunlight while being outside. Recent studies show that some people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which results from fewer hours of sunlight, as the days grow shorter during the winter months. Phototherapy, a treatment involving a few hours of exposure to intense light is effective in relieving depressive symptoms in patients with SAD.
The holidays can be a busy time for many of us. Make sure you continue to set aside some time for yourself so that your body and mind can keep moving in a healthy direction.
- Don't try to Control Your Family Members. Many of us use the holidays as a time for reconnecting with our families, including those family members who don't agree with us all the time. As an alternative, why not leave our teacher/counselor hat in the closet and just concentrate on being a loving son/sister/cousin/parent. We can play this role quite well without ever giving advice. And if someone else is trying to fix our life, well, just listen, and thank him or her for their concern.
- Do Something for Others. Some of the most memorable and rewarding holiday experiences occur when one steps outside their own needs and problems and do something helpful for others. By helping others you can get some perspective on your own difficulties and struggles. What could be more in line with the holiday spirit than to help a neighbor, or friend, or even a perfect stranger?
- Focus on the Present. Leave "yesterday" in the past and look toward the future. Life brings changes. Don’t set yourself up to be comparing today with the "good ol’ days." Much of our emotional suffering occurs because our attention either jumps to the future (worrying about what will happen) or drifts to the past (sadness about what already happened). If we can develop more skill at keeping our attention present, we are more likely to become fully absorbed in what we are doing in the present moment. The present moment is our real life. If we fail to pay attention, we are more likely to struggle with psychological problems while our real life passes us by. Finally, don't expect to feel happy, grateful and joyful throughout the holidays. It's not natural. What is natural is the ebb and flow of feelings from one moment to the next. When those inevitable moments of depression, fatigue or anxiety present themselves don't let them paralyze you or throw you off course.
- Save Time for Yourself. Get much needed rest! Let others share responsibility of activities.
Information and links found on the UT Medical Group, Inc. web site are neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a medical emergency call your healthcare provider immediately.
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