For many, the holiday season brings love, joy, excitement, and hope. However, the holiday season can bring on the holiday blues for others. Stirring up feelings of sadness, stress, or even depression. According to the American Psychological Association, 44% of women and 33% of men surveyed feel stressed during the holidays. Whether it’s the first holiday without a loved one, the disappointment of adult children who can’t make it home, or the stress of family gatherings and overspending. Regardless of what brings on the blues, managing these emotions is essential for protecting your emotional well-being and overall health during this season. In this article, I’ll provide 10 practical tips to help you manage the holiday blues and find moments of peace and joy.
What are the Holiday Blues?
Fatima Watt, Psy.D., director of behavioral health services at Franciscan Children’s, explains that the holiday blues “are “feelings of stress, anxiety, and sadness that surround the holiday season.” These feelings often start around Thanksgiving and continue through the New Year.
Some common Holiday Blues symptoms:
- Depression
- Sadness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Feeling tense, worried, or anxious
Tips for Managing the Holiday Blues
Below is a list of practical tips to help you manage holiday blues:
- Don’t isolate yourself. Spending time alone has many benefits. However, spending time around supportive and loving people can lift your spirits, provide comfort, and help you feel more connected.
- Get plenty of sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, you tend to feel anxious, irritable, and even depressed.
- Stay active and exercise. Exercise can help increase your energy level; studies show it releases the happy hormones endorphins and dopamine.
- Limit your alcohol consumption. Eliminate or reduce your alcohol intake. Alcohol can give you a temporary mood boost but will make you feel depressed.
- Volunteer: Studies show people feel better when they do a good deed for someone else.
- Set reasonable expectations and goals for holiday activities.
- Set a budget for holiday activities and shopping. Don’t overextend yourself financially by buying gifts.
- Talk to someone about how you feel. It can help you understand why you think the way you do. Remember not to underestimate the power of friends, family, mentors, and neighbors.
- Acknowledge your feelings and reach out for support. If you’re experiencing the loss of someone, it’s normal to feel sad and not want to celebrate. Connect with a therapist, family, friends, faith community, or a support group.
- Make a gratitude list. Write down at least 3-4 things you’re grateful for daily. Studies show that gratitude has a positive impact on mental health.
Remember, it’s OK not to feel OK during the holiday season. The holiday blues are far more common than most people realize, and you are not alone in feeling this way. Just because others are laughing, singing, and seeming to embrace the festive spirit doesn’t make you odd or wrong for feeling differently.
Your emotions are valid, no matter what they are. It’s perfectly OK to feel a bit off, overwhelmed, or even sad during this time. Be gentle with yourself and know that it’s normal to experience a range of emotions, even when the world around you feels joy and happiness.
While these tips are designed to help you navigate these emotions and find moments of peace, they are not a substitute for advice or care from a healthcare professional. If struggling, do not hesitate to seek support from a trusted friend, therapist, or medical provider. Be gentle with yourself, take it one day at a time, and know that brighter days are ahead.
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Disclaimer:
This article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
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