The holiday season is in full swing and comes with a lot more than just Christmas songs, sweet treats and joyous family gatherings. It sometimes brings along unwelcome guests, stress, and dark waves of depression.
Although this stress is understandable considering the wide list of demands – from shopping for presents, to cooking meals, cleaning the house, hosting parties, visiting friends, and entertaining guests – the depression which can accompany you, long after the holiday season has ended, is very real.
There is a dizzying array of expectations (spoken and unspoken) that you feel you have to meet which can be responsible for many of those anxiety and panic attacks.
You can minimize some of your mental health symptoms by practicing how to cope with depression during holidays.
Avoid the Holiday Blues
When waves of depression are high and lasting, it’s hard to stay afloat emotionally. The best tactic is to try and prevent the water from rising in the first place, especially if you know holidays take a toll on your emotional health.
- Acknowledge your feelings and reach out for support: When you’re down and low, it can be hard to confront your feelings let alone seek support from friends or family. But it’s better to express them – and get help rather than letting your emotions get the best of you. You can visit friends, schedule a session with your counselor, join a support group, or exercise.
- Be realistic: You don’t necessarily have to host a bigger party than your friend or make sure your house is the best and most decorated one on the entire street. The purpose of holidays is to relax and rejoice. So, everything doesn’t have to be “perfect”.
- Stick to your holiday budget: If it’s the finances that’re stressing you out, decide on a budget and stick to it when you go shopping for gifts and/or food. Consider starting a potluck meal for your gatherings. You may want to “draw names” assigning who gives / receives the gifts while setting an agreed to price limit. That way, you do not feel the need to buy every person a gift.
- Learn to say no: Your friends and colleagues will understand if you can’t participate in every single holiday activity. Learn that it’s okay to say no and there is no need to become overwhelmed during the holiday season.
Lastly, reach out to a mental health counselor and schedule a virtual appointment. There is no reason to go through this alone and a little coaching can go a long way.