How to Prevent Holiday Depression

The stress of the holidays can bring on a bout of depression. You may feel you can't cope with juggling work, family, friends, travel and domestic duties all at once. Or if you can't be with family and friends, the loneliness of the holidays can seem unbearable. Follow these steps to avoid letting the holidays bring you down.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Acknowledge that the holidays stress you out. Denying it will cause depression to catch you unprepared. There's no reason to feel guilty for not enjoying the holiday bustle.

2. Identify what depresses you about the holidays. Once you know what parts cause the most pain, you can take steps to neutralize those uncomfortable moments.

3. Reach out to neighbors, friends and people at your place of worship. Be open about how the holidays make you feel. Chances are some of them suffer from depression around this time of year too.

4. Do things you enjoy like crafts, reading, art and sports. Take a walk in the quiet morning hours to soothe your loneliness.

5. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga. Use creative visualization to imagine you're somewhere doing something that would make you happy. Mind Tools has information on relaxation techniques you can try.

6. Eat right and get physically active. It's easy to let things slip by overeating and lying around all day watching TV. Your mind can fight depression better when your body's healthy.

7. Find what there is to enjoy. Instead of feeling lost in the holiday crowds at the mall, listen to the music and look at all the decorations. Go caroling or volunteer at a soup kitchen. Giving can help chase depression away.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't expect to get rid of holiday depression completely the first time. It's a goal that takes time to achieve.

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Resources

• Relax to avoid holiday depression.

[NatalieEngland]

on 11/30/2008 Thanks.