Got the Holiday Blues?
The holidays have arrived. If you are not feeling so festive, you are not alone!
The holiday season can impact your mental health significantly. Several mental health studies show that 60-90% of people are stressed during the holidays, and many with mental health challenges feel their conditions worsened around the holiday. The stressors of family gatherings, financial concerns, and the expectation to be cheerful can make mental health issues worse. Many experience heightened feelings of sadness or depression during this time.
According to McLean Hospital, if you are struggling with the holidays, you may be feeling some of these things:
- You don’t have the “right spirit”
- You are overwhelmed in general, or by grief or loss
- You feel pressured to participate but don’t want to
- You are stressed financially about gift giving
- You feel isolated or alone
Coping strategies include accepting your emotions, maintaining healthy habits, and setting boundaries to manage stress effectively.
Professionals at McLean suggest setting a financial limit and sticking to it, making personal items for gifts, and saying “No”! Don’t force yourself to be happy, and it’s ok if you don’t celebrate or participate. The VA says that anxiety is human, and that we all have our ups and downs.
Part of self-care is paying attention to your feelings, according to SAMHSA.
Other ways to practice Self Care (from SAMHSA, VA and McLean Hospital) include:
- Connect with your family, friends, faith, and other groups
- Plan ahead for when you are stressed, sad or lonely
- Help and support others
- Limit social media to what is positive and supportive
- Avoid alcohol and drugs
- Focus on what’s important to you
- Discover and prioritize what fulfills you and brings you joy
- Bake, shop and clean ahead
- Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder if you have this
- If your symptoms are worsening, know when to seek professional help.
Beat the blues this holiday season. You are not alone.
For more information, check out this YouTube video:
Want to learn more about the Embrace Mental Wellness initiative? View the archives.
