Holiday Blues
The months November through January tend to be hard on most adults in the Western world where it is the holiday season. Some of us put up with Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Boxing Day and other holidays depending on who you are, the family/religion/culture to which you belong, and your personal preferences on whether to celebrate or not.
The pressure of the time of the holiday season is not really the holiday itself that causes so much stress, depression, and anxiety, but it can come in the form of family relations, expenses, high expectations, and the settling in of cooler winter weather which may consist of days that are also cloudy and damp or extremely dry. Inevitably, there is always the cold/flu season lurking about waiting to find a worn out victim with weak defenses.
One good thing to say about the season as it is celebrated in our parts is that we are lucky to be able to celebrate it or not as we see fit. It is our choice, at least, if we can afford it. There are many who do not have the choice to enjoy the season because they are part of the poor/working poor underclass, some who will be working the retail stores and restaurants on Christmas day.
There will be children going to school with your child who may be surpressing sadness knowing their families will not have enough money to give them presents like the rest of their classmates. Perhaps it is your child. Perhaps it is a close friend. Maybe such families will decide to have a simple observance and go without lunch for a month. For such families, this time of year can be really stressful.
My point in bringing this up is there is something you can do.
The Salvation Army, The Red Cross, and UNICEF as well as local homeless missions are always in need of a handout this time of year. Your local police or firefighters may have a drive called Toys For Tots to help children get toys at Christmas. Be on the lookout for other charities that are not as well known. Get some information on charitable organizations before you make a donation.
For everyone else who has the holiday blues, the best advice I could give is to take it easy. Don't expect perfection because it will never happen. Did you ever watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? That poor guy was trying to strive for the picture perfect holidays with the whole family and it ended in one disaster after another. The point is, the harder he tried to make it perfect, the worse it got. The same will happen to most people who are expecting perfection instead of just going with the flow.
I know when it comes to dealing with family, some families are easier to get along with than others. No matter how difficult they can be, you might just miss them the next year if they pass on. If you have to deal with difficult people, try to avoid the things that trigger the worst of their personality traits. If that person becomes too much for you to handle, give yourself a little space and mingle with someone else or take a walk.
Keep a budget! The depression of January is always intesified when you see a big bill paid for on credit and you have the normal living expenses to deal with. The gluttony of Christmas has gotten out of control. Parents really do not have to stuff the tree with lots of boxes of toys just to impress the children. Give them a few items of what they really want and what you can afford. Encourage homemade gifts! Get a few decorative tins and make cookies, brownies or candies for people whom you do not know what they would like. And for really simple and stress free, get gift certificates.
Take care of yourself. Drink plenty of fluids, especially orange juice and green tea to combat the many viral infections in the air. Get plenty of sleep at night. If you feel too stressed, take a walk or turn on the music and dance.
Organize yourself. Make a list of all tasks you want to get done. Keep things you know you will need handy. If you can't find them, either search for them or buy them new and then put them in a spot where you can access them quickly. For instance, you may be sending out lots of cards and gifts, so be sure you have a shelf where you can store cards, envelopes, stamps, address labels, tape, gift wrap, gift cards, ribbons, bows, scissors and so forth.
Avoid the carb overload and alcohol. If you suffer seasonal depression, stuffing yourself with carbs or drinking alcohol will only make you feel worse. Try instead eating cubes of cheese, a hard boiled egg, or slices of luncheon meat. Instead of alcohol, try an herbal tea or flavoured coffee without caffeine.
I hope you will keep these tips in mind and you will enjoy the holiday preparations.
Beating The Holiday Blues
The pressure of the time of the holiday season is not really the holiday itself that causes so much stress, depression, and anxiety, but it can come in the form of family relations, expenses, high expectations, and the settling in of cooler winter weather which may consist of days that are also cloudy and damp or extremely dry. Inevitably, there is always the cold/flu season lurking about waiting to find a worn out victim with weak defenses.
One good thing to say about the season as it is celebrated in our parts is that we are lucky to be able to celebrate it or not as we see fit. It is our choice, at least, if we can afford it. There are many who do not have the choice to enjoy the season because they are part of the poor/working poor underclass, some who will be working the retail stores and restaurants on Christmas day.
There will be children going to school with your child who may be surpressing sadness knowing their families will not have enough money to give them presents like the rest of their classmates. Perhaps it is your child. Perhaps it is a close friend. Maybe such families will decide to have a simple observance and go without lunch for a month. For such families, this time of year can be really stressful.
My point in bringing this up is there is something you can do.
The Salvation Army, The Red Cross, and UNICEF as well as local homeless missions are always in need of a handout this time of year. Your local police or firefighters may have a drive called Toys For Tots to help children get toys at Christmas. Be on the lookout for other charities that are not as well known. Get some information on charitable organizations before you make a donation.
For everyone else who has the holiday blues, the best advice I could give is to take it easy. Don't expect perfection because it will never happen. Did you ever watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? That poor guy was trying to strive for the picture perfect holidays with the whole family and it ended in one disaster after another. The point is, the harder he tried to make it perfect, the worse it got. The same will happen to most people who are expecting perfection instead of just going with the flow.
I know when it comes to dealing with family, some families are easier to get along with than others. No matter how difficult they can be, you might just miss them the next year if they pass on. If you have to deal with difficult people, try to avoid the things that trigger the worst of their personality traits. If that person becomes too much for you to handle, give yourself a little space and mingle with someone else or take a walk.
Keep a budget! The depression of January is always intesified when you see a big bill paid for on credit and you have the normal living expenses to deal with. The gluttony of Christmas has gotten out of control. Parents really do not have to stuff the tree with lots of boxes of toys just to impress the children. Give them a few items of what they really want and what you can afford. Encourage homemade gifts! Get a few decorative tins and make cookies, brownies or candies for people whom you do not know what they would like. And for really simple and stress free, get gift certificates.
Take care of yourself. Drink plenty of fluids, especially orange juice and green tea to combat the many viral infections in the air. Get plenty of sleep at night. If you feel too stressed, take a walk or turn on the music and dance.
Organize yourself. Make a list of all tasks you want to get done. Keep things you know you will need handy. If you can't find them, either search for them or buy them new and then put them in a spot where you can access them quickly. For instance, you may be sending out lots of cards and gifts, so be sure you have a shelf where you can store cards, envelopes, stamps, address labels, tape, gift wrap, gift cards, ribbons, bows, scissors and so forth.
Avoid the carb overload and alcohol. If you suffer seasonal depression, stuffing yourself with carbs or drinking alcohol will only make you feel worse. Try instead eating cubes of cheese, a hard boiled egg, or slices of luncheon meat. Instead of alcohol, try an herbal tea or flavoured coffee without caffeine.
I hope you will keep these tips in mind and you will enjoy the holiday preparations.
Beating The Holiday Blues
posted by Callen Damornen at 11:02:00 pm
1 Comments:
yeah right.take the holiday blues easy. happy holidays to you as well
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