Coping with Holiday Depression

Holiday season is meant for enjoyment and relaxation. However, it does not always mean the same of everyone. For some people, holidays bring gloominess and depression. Hence, Holiday depression is not an uncommon phenomenon. Reasons such as unwanted guests, fatigue, obligation for partying and socializing, financial crunch, distance from family, etc may lead to depression during holidays. If you are also experiencing difficulty in coping with the holidays, here are some of the effective measures:

• Plan your holidays well in advance. While planning your holidays always make sure that you are setting realistic goals for yourself. The same applies for everything that you are arranging. Whether you are making arrangements for a tour, party or gifts, make sure that you have practical expectations from yourself. Having unrealistic and impractical expectations later lead to disappointment and depression.

• If you are suffering from depression around the holidays, there is a huge impact of environment on your mood. Hence, it is very important to get out of the house and get some fresh air. However, usually when a person is suffering from depression, he/she finds excuses not to get out of the house. This way, he gets trapped in the vicious circle and is never able to get out of it. Therefore, it is advisable to move out, even without any valid reason.

• Finances play a crucial role in holiday depression. Holiday season means parties, gifts, costly dinners and tours. Fulfilling all these demands may burn a hole in your pocket. Therefore, it becomes extremely important to fix a budget and to stick to it. Also, start saving for the holiday season well in advance, as there is a significant increase in the expenses during this period. Thus, a well planned budget helps in preventing and coping with holiday depression.

• It is very important to say no to people whenever required. Saying yes to everyone against your wishes can make you resentful and exhausted. Therefore, it is necessary to make people understand that you cannot make yourself available at every occasion. Thus, fixing the priorities plays a major role in dealing with depression and the holidays effectively.

• In order to fight against depression and stress during holidays, it is very important to follow the healthy eating habits like you do during the normal days. Bad health and eating disorders further add to depression. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid excessive sweets and drinks. Doing so helps in preventing holiday depression.

By taking some of the above mentioned measures, you can make the holiday season a memorable one. Proper planning and positive attitude is the most effective way that helps in coping with the holidays. So take the charge in your own hands and turn your holidays into a time to enjoy and cherish with your near and dear ones rather than a dreaded time.