Special Holiday Depression
Holiday Depression
As my Facebook loves to remind me, lots of us are trading our normal, everyday depression and anxiety for a special holiday depression and anxiety.
Holidays can be wonderful with family, tons of food, decorations, and love. Not everyone enjoys a bright, happy holiday. I want to talk about holiday stress. The experts at WebMD have lots to say about holiday depression.
Holiday Depression and Stress
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
The holiday season for most people is a fun time of the year filled with parties, celebrations, and social gatherings with family and friends. For many people, it is a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness, and anxiety.
What causes holiday blues?
Sadness is a truly personal feeling. What makes one person feel sad may not affect another person. Typical sources of holiday sadness include:
- Stress
- Fatigue
- Unrealistic expectations
- Over-commercialization
- Financial stress
- The inability to be with one’s family and friends
Balancing the demands of shopping, parties, family obligations, and house guests may contribute to feelings of being overwhelmed and increased tension. People who do not view themselves as depressed may develop stress responses, such as:
- Headaches
- Excessive drinking
- Over-eating
- Insomnia
19 tips for coping with holiday stress and depression: - Make realistic expectations for the holiday season.
- Set realistic goals for yourself.
- Pace yourself. Do not take on more responsibilities than you can handle.
- Make a list and prioritize the important activities. This can help make holiday tasks more manageable.
- Be realistic about what you can and cannot do.
- Do not put all your energy into just one day (i.e., Thanksgiving Day, New Year’s Eve). The holiday cheer can be spread from one holiday event to the next.
- Live and enjoy the present.
- Look to the future with optimism.
- Don’t set yourself up for disappointment and sadness by comparing today with the good old days of the past.
- If you are lonely, try volunteering some time to help others.
- Find holiday activities that are free, such as looking at holiday decorations, going window shopping without buying, and watching the winter weather, whether it’s a snowflake or a raindrop.
- Limit your drinking since excessive drinking will only increase your feelings of depression.
- Try something new. Celebrate the holidays in a new way.
- Spend time with supportive and caring people.
- Reach out and make new friends.
- Make time to contact a long-lost friend or relative and spread some holiday cheer.
- Make time for yourself!
- Let others share the responsibilities of holiday tasks.
- Keep track of your holiday spending. Overspending can lead to depression when the bills arrive after the holidays are over. Extra bills with little budget to pay them can lead to further stress and depression.
WebMD has provided signs and symptoms, along with strategies that will provide relief.
At Mt Grant General Hospital we are here to support you during these stressful times. Our clinic providers are available for urgent appointments to partner with coping and stress reduction strategies.
MGGH Wishes you and your loved ones a magical Holiday!
Additional resources include:
LOCAL
Rural Clinics – 1000 C St. Suite A2 – Mon-Fri 8:00 am-5:00 pm
Thrive – 1000 C St., Suite A1 – Mon-Fri 9:00 am-6:00 pm
Community Chest – Mon-Fri 9:00 am-2:00 pm
OUTREACH
Dial 988 from ANY phone – Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – 24 hour support
NAMI Nevada – 775-241-4212 – 24 hour support
Mobile Crisis Response Team Hotline – 775-688-1670 – For Children under the age of 18 and Families
Nevada Teen Text Line – 775-296-8336
Adult Crisis Text Line – 748748
We hope this helps!