How to Avoid Holiday Stress and Depression

The holiday season is supposed to be filled with fun and excitement. Most people celebrate with parties or gatherings with family members and friends. Unfortunately, many people spend the holiday being sad, lonely, and full of anxiety. With this article you'll avoid holiday stress and depression!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patience
• Family
• Friends

1. 
   Pace yourself!

   Pace yourself and make sure you don't take on more responsibilities than you can handle.

2. 
   Make a list!

   Identify what stresses you out and take care of it first. Make a list and prioritize all important activities. It'll help make your holiday tasks much more manageable.

3. 
   Be realistic!

   Be realistic about what you can and can not do. Make sure you don't put all of your energy into just one day so you won't get stressed out.

4. 
   Look toward the future!

   Leave past years in the past and look toward the future. Life brings changes all of the time. Each season is different and can be enjoyed in its own way. Don’t set yourself up in comparing today with the past because it'll just cause depression.

5. 
   Volunteer!

   If you have spare time, volunteer to help out others.

6. 
   Do holiday activities!

   Find holiday activities that are free, such as looking at holiday decorations and lights, going window shopping without buying, or making a snowman and playing in the snow with children.

7. 
   Minimize your alcohol consumption!

   Keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum. The more you consume, the more it'll increase your feeling of depression.

8. 
   Celebrate in a new way!

   Celebrate the holidays in a new way and try something different.

9. 
   Make new friends!

   Spend time with people that support and care about you. Make new friends, or make time to contact a long lost friend or relative and spread some holiday cheer!

10. 
    Recharge your batteries!

    Save time for yourself! Recharge your batteries and let others share responsibility of activities.

11. 
    Keep track of your spending and stay within your budget!

    Keep track of everything you spend for the holidays. Overspending can lead to depression when you get the bills in after the holidays are over and you found out they're more than what your budget allows!

[bethjess39564]

on 1/11/2009 Volunteer! It always cheers me up.

[Geargirl113]

on 12/9/2008 This is a very useful article. It is so important to appreciate the simple things. Thank you.

[Brigid]

on 11/20/2008 You have a lovely article here. Thank you. I wrote one too but its so nice and refreshing to add great ideas and tips. thanks

Brigett

[RENorton]

on 11/20/2008 Excellent article. Great advice as we approach the holidays. Thanks!

[HowDragon]

on 11/20/2008 Great article and how not to compare this year with the past. Thanks!