Coping with Depression
It’s a myth that suicide is more typical around special occasions like the holidays (springtime is really the pinnacle). Be that as it may, seasonal happiness isn’t a given either. High desires, cash misfortunes, and other occasion risks can spell inconvenience for anybody, yet particularly those inclined to depression. With a touch of foresight and planning, you can feel better about the holidays.
Plan ahead
Invest some energy in making sense of how to deal with your-self amid this time. Restore routines schedules, for example, reading a book or snoozing, and think of them on a timetable, ensure these schedules don’t fall by the wayside. Figure out what activities will enable you to get past and through the holidays and make them a priority in your day.
Stay away from family struggle
There are a couple approaches to spare your mental soundness at family social events, On the off chance that you know there will be clashes, set up a neutral response, for example, “How about we discuss that some other time,” or, “I can see how you would feel that way.” Then escape to the restroom, offer to help in the kitchen, or run hang out time with the children. What’s more, it always helps to calls a good friend in the event that you need extra coaching.
Nobody’s Perfect
The Holidays bring out the perfectionists in all of us, the perfect tree, lights and décor don’t have to be so perfect. Remember the spirit of the season, a warm and cozy place filled with love and family. Limit your stress levels when it comes to the holidays, pace yourself; and do a little each day making a schedule of the entire project. Enlist the help of friends, family, and passersby to join in on the bright and cheery atmosphere you have created.
Know how to grieve
In the event that you are grieving a friend or family member during the holiday season, it’s a good time to discuss your feelings with a therapist or join a support group. We all handle loss so differently, perhaps joining friends for an outing, quiet reflection, or a yearly tradition to honor that person might help to ease the pain. Whatever you choose it’s normal to feel loss; feelings are a sign that you’re human and reflect where you are in your healing process.
Schedule some sleep
With the holidays being jam packed of activities, friends, parties, and prep time, you’ll want to schedule much needed rest. Set a time for sleep each night and stick to your schedule getting 8 restful hours of uninterrupted sleep. Calm your mind and rest your body for each succeeding day to come, they will get busier. If you are one of the millions that have trouble sleeping try Chamomile Tea; read a good book by the fireplace, or watch a movie you’ve seen many times, anything to relax your body and mind to fall off to sleep.
Get help
Help comes in many forms, a friend, family member or a therapist, but if you are experiencing feeling of dread or hopelessness during the holidays seek out help. Look at it as a mission to find, conquer, and overcome anxiety or depression. This many not be the typical “Christmas Blues” but rather a problem that the holidays accentuate. Talking it out really does help.
Prioritize workouts
Exercise—one of the first activities to get lost in the holiday shuffle—should be placed high on your to-do list.” The more stress we are under, the less time we feel like we have, and the more irritated our mood, the more we need to continue exercising,”. “Get out and do something; it helps use those calories from rich, fatty, sugary holiday foods.” Exercise has been shown to improve mood. Taking a brisk walk for 35 minutes five days a week (or 60 minutes three times a week) can do the trick.
Consider your light exposure
If you are consistently tired, irritable, and down at this time of year, it may not be due to the holidays as much as to the lack of exposure to the sun. Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, can be treated by long walks during daylight hours or exposure to a light box for about 30 minutes a day. If you think you may be suffering from SAD, talk to your doctor about treatment options.
Focus on what matters
The holidays shouldn’t be all about the presents, but financial woes can make it easy to lose sight of that. Rein in the stress (and cost) by organizing a gift exchange with friends or family. You can also bake your gifts, or create traditions such as having a large potluck meal followed by a walk outside or board games by the fire.” I think saying no is more of a relief instead of stretching and spending more than you have and still not doing enough,”.
Don’t binge on food or alcohol
For some, overindulgence is as much of a holiday tradition as opening gifts. I recommend more restraint. Have one piece of pie, not three. Apart from being unhealthy for your body, you will feel guilty afterward. Try preparing for holiday dinners by eating healthy meals the week prior. And don’t use alcohol to deal with holiday depression. Alcohol can intensify your emotions and leave you feeling worse when it wears off.
Cut back on commitments
If you feel like you just can’t get through one more holiday gathering, it’s OK to sit them out. One of the things about holiday stress we forget is that between Thanksgiving and Christmas make time for yourself to decompress and have some “Me time”.
