How To Deal With Depression Around The Holidays
When you think about depression around a holiday, you will likely think about Thanksgiving or Christmas. After all, these two holidays are synonymous with gatherings, family time, and joyful celebrations. However, that is not the only time of the year when someone can feel depressed.
Truthfully, no matter what holiday it is, whether that be Easter, the 4th of July, or even Memorial Day can cause someone's depression to really ramp up.
Depression around a holiday can occur for many reasons. Most commonly, it is the marker of a day when a loved one or friend is no longer there to celebrate or spend time with on that day. If you find that you are struggling during any holiday, let's explore how you can navigate depression around the holidays a little easier.
Signs Of Holiday Depression
To better understand how to get through the holiday easier, we'll begin by going over common signs of holiday depression. Someone can experience any of the following signs:
Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping more often than normal or less)
Appetite changes
Feelings of sadness
Guilt over celebrating or going to parties
Frequent mood swings
Feeling more irritable than normal
How To Cope With Depression Around The Holidays
Self-Care
There are many ways to practice self-care to help ease the heaviness that depression causes.
Some people might find their best self-care practices are to exercise for short periods of time throughout the day. Others may find that meditating or practicing yoga can help lessen the turmoil that they are feeling inside.
Most people find that a combination of both of those things can help. And, everyone can also benefit from making healthy and nutritious food choices to give their body the fuel it needs to function optimally, even if their mind is making them feel otherwise.
Show Yourself Understanding
Humans tend to berate themselves over the smallest of things. We value perfectionism over being human. Life isn't perfect and the holidays and dealing with depression aren't either.
When depression is weighing on your soul, give yourself the grace and understanding to know that it's okay. We place great emphasis and the joyous parts of a holiday, yet rarely do we talk about how hard a holiday can be. It's okay that you aren't enjoying this holiday, for whatever reason.
Set Boundaries For Yourself
As we mentioned earlier, holidays are almost synonymous with gatherings. It is almost expected of us that we fill our free time with parties and get-togethers, no matter how we are feeling. It can be uplifting to be around other people, especially when you are feeling lonely and need social interaction. However, you don't have to say yes to every party invite or dinner. It is within your right to say no (or yes) to any gathering you need to. If you only feel like attending one event over a holiday weekend, then you don't have to feel obligated to commit to anything else. Just try not to say no to absolutely everything, if at all possible.
Take It One Day At A Time
When a holiday is approaching and you feel like your mood is getting heavier, don't be afraid to just take it one day at a time. We put a huge emphasis on always looking to the future that we often forget about the present moment.
Depression has an ugly and unfortunate way of warping how we view the world and the people in it. It makes life feel overwhelming and chaotic. Take things one day at a time. If yesterday was okay but today feels like the world is crashing around you, don't be afraid to admit that that is your current circumstance.
You don't have to get through depression alone. If you are struggling with depression during the holiday season or any other time, don't hesitate to reach out. Depression therapy can help you find ways to move out of the darkness.