by Nicole F.
Ah the Christmas season, the most wonderful time of the year. Minus all of the depression. While the Christmas season is known as being a season of spreading love and good cheer, somehow it has also become synonymous with depression and stress. Both of these things can be extremely hard to overcome, especially if you are feeling overwhelmed by family and finishing all of your Christmas shopping. Since taking care of your mental health is something I value, I wanted to share some tips for how to overcome those holiday blues that seem to affect everyone this time of year.
Before I start, I do want to say that if you are suffering from depression and are contemplating suicide, these tips will not help you. If you are truly feeling this way you need to contact a professional and get the help you need to feel better. I will include the Suicide Hotline at the end of this article so that you can talk to someone qualified to listen and assist with feelings of depression and suicidal thoughts. Please use the number if you need it.
Now, the first tip I want to share is probably the most obvious, but it’s the first thing I do anytime I am feeling stressed or am feeling blue. Contact your friends or someone in your life who makes you feel better no matter what. You don’t have to talk to them about what you’re feeling or going through, but there’s nothing better for lifting your mood than talking and laughing with someone you’re close to. I know that anytime I’ve been feeling down, I contact my best friend and we just make jokes and laugh about things that have been going on in our lives and by the time I leave, I feel tons better.
Tip number two is also obvious, but it’s something people struggle with so I’m throwing it in here too! Take some time for yourself. What do you enjoy doing? Eating good food? Going out for cocktails? Staying inside and reading a book? Whatever it is that you enjoy doing that makes you feel relaxed and happy, make the time to do it. In our society it is common that we don’t believe you can be happy or do things you enjoy alone. It’s almost an unspoken rule that if you want to go out, you need to take someone with you, but sometimes you may just not want to be around other people. There should be no reason why you can’t go to dinner on your own and just enjoy a nice meal.
This also goes for staying in. There should be no reason why you cannot spend the day in the house, in your pajamas, watching your favorite movies or T.V shows, or even reading a book. As I said, whatever you enjoy doing, do it! It’s ok to let yourself relax a little bit and have some ‘me-time’ during the holidays if that’s something that would improve your mental health.
Third tip is to take some time to remember what the holiday season is actually about. With all of the consumerism around Christmas and all of the travelling involved, it’s easy to lose sight of what the holiday season is actually about. It’s about spreading joy and happiness and being together with the people you love. Maybe taking some time and volunteering at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter, going to a nursing home to talk to people who don’t have the luxury of visiting their families and friends, or even donating to a local charity. All of these things can help you remember what the holiday season is about and take away from some of the pressure you may feel about everything that needs done.
My fourth tip is going to be a bit more unconventional. If you do not enjoy being around your family and it is affecting your mental health, maybe skip the family visit. I know how important family is, but families can be just as toxic as friends can, sometimes even worse. There is no shame in staying home for the holidays to avoid being brought down by your family. I know this may seem unorthodox and can cause some people to feel guilty, but as selfish as it sounds, sometimes you just need to prioritize your mental health over the feelings of others.
And my fifth and final tip is, take a moment and list at least five things in your life that you are grateful for. This is something I do all of the time, no matter the time of year and I have found that it is one of the best reminders of the good in my life. Sometimes it can be hard to see all the good in your own life unless you stop and actually take stock of what you are thankful for. It’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the dark thoughts and the feelings of stress, but you can’t forget all of the good things in your life. No matter what is going on, counting your blessings is a valuable tool in reminding you that while things may seem dark now, there is always a little light somewhere.
To wrap this article up, I want to go ahead and list five things I am grateful for right now. I’m doing this mainly as an example of what it can look like, but also because this time of year I always get the blues. Whether it’s because I’m feeling lonely or things aren’t working out for the holidays the way I wish they would, something always causes me to feel down until at least a week into January.
So here we go, five things I am grateful for:
I am grateful to have a family that is so close and that makes me laugh as much as they do, even though I haven’t always made my appreciation for them apparent.
I am grateful to have such wonderful friends in my life who have always been there for me and who I can always count on no matter how long it’s been since we’ve seen each other.
I am grateful to have a job I enjoy and makes me feel fulfilled, even if it wasn't what I had expected to be doing at this point in my life.
I am grateful for this site, for giving me an opportunity to write more and to give me a voice to possibly connect with people that I may have never connected with otherwise.
And finally I am grateful for all of the new experiences I’ve had this past year and all of the opportunities I have been given to grow as a person.
Now I know my list looks pretty generic as far as things you should be grateful for, but your list can have anything from being grateful that you didn’t break a bone this year to feeling grateful that you pushed yourself to keep breathing for another year. There really isn’t a wrong way to do this list as long as you are doing it sincerely.
I hope this article has helped some of you to feel better and kick the holiday blues in the ass! As I stated before, if you are feeling severely depressed and you are considering taking your own life, please call the hotline number below. I know that things may be hard now, but giving up should never be the right answer and you deserve a chance at feeling at peace and happy. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!
National Suicide Prevention Hotline:
1-800-273-8255
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