Have your self a merry little Christmas because Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
The malls are full of lights, glitter and music. We try to share our love with gift boxes, wrapping paper and ribbons by the yard.
The holiday season is not so wonderful for everybody. It is fairly common for us to have to come face-to-face with friends, co-workers or family members whom we don't enjoy. And, sadly, some of us must recall a divorce or the death of a loved one during the cold and dark holiday season. We are often heard telling each other that "I can't wait for Christmas to be over." We then medicate ourselves by eating too much, drinking too much and buying too much.
Many people feel depressed during the holidays. The holiday blues are real. Here are some things that contribute to our holiday gloom:
1. Expecting to have a wonderful white Christmas holiday. When we expect "the best Christmas ever," we set ourselves up for frustration and depression. The holidays are not what we see on television. Instead, we often experience work-related stress, anxiety and grief. It is important to recognize these things while, at the same time, doing our best to review the things for which we have to be thankful. This might be a family member or a friend who helps to make the holiday season tolerable. Maybe this is vacation time from work. Maybe this is recognizing that a new year is coming doing which we are allowed do-overs with their second chances.
2. Planning to do "everything." Planning to have a perfect Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah....saying "yes" to every meeting and seeing everyone in every family can drive anyone nuts and will certainly increase the holiday blues.
3. Criticizing your holiday season by comparing your activities you see around you. You may not recognize that all of us have "issues" and very few of us have perfect holidays.
4. Failing to take care of yourself; If you make your social life too important, you may ignore exercise, healthy home cooking and the importance of limiting alcohol use. As a matter of fact, it is important to realize that alcohol is a depressant and drinking too much is likely to increase your feelings of sadness. Know that smoking is also linked with depression.
5. Ignoring your need for sleep will make your holidays more difficult. Without enough sleep, you will be more depressed and more irritable.
6. Living your life on a computer or in chat rooms can increase your feelings of isolation. If you are becoming an "internet addict," (you know who your are) learn the importance of real life human interaction. Your computer is not your companion. Have you heard of Facebook Depression?
7. Ask your health care provider if any of your medications can be contributing to your low mood. Many drugs have side effects of depression.
Recognize the real feelings that you have during the holiday season. "It's A Wonderful Life" is not true for most of us. because there is no "Miracle on 34th Street."
If you have comments or questions about this post, please feel free to call me at 256/431-5060. You can also send me email at [email protected]