During the holidays it seems so easy to get into a funk. Granted, the absolute best food is cooked at this time of the year, it’s still tough dealing with life during the holidays. Many people are celebrating what is to come while others may not be so happy or in the “Holiday Spirit”.
Holidays are often times full of smiles, family arguments, and fun. I mean seriously, we all know what I mean. Everyone’s excited to see one another but there’s almost always some kind of tension between someone. Sometimes the situations bring humor to the room. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Aside from the incidents that happen during this time, it’s extremely easy for people to experience seasonal depression. Many people go through this at this time due to deaths of loved ones. When you lose someone you love dearly, someone you spent everyday with or were really close to, the holidays tend to remind you of them.
You think about the good times, their favorite dishes, their smile, their laugh. Certain places, people, or even tunes remind you of those special people. And that’s when it gets hard.
Well, I’m no psychologist or mental health counselor, but I looked up a few techniques that might help the situation if you’re facing this type of battle this year. Here’s some tips from healthline.com.
Know that today isn’t indicative of tomorrow
Today’s mood, emotions, or thoughts don’t belong to tomorrow. If you were unsuccessful at getting out of bed or accomplishing your goals today, remember that you haven’t lost tomorrow’s opportunity to try again.
Give yourself the grace to accept that while some days will be difficult, some days will also be great. Try to look forward to tomorrow’s fresh start.
Meet yourself where you are
Depression is very common. It affects millions of people, including some in your life. You may not realize they face similar challenges, emotions, and obstacles. Every day with this disorder is different. It’s important to take your mental health seriously and accept that where you are right now isn’t where you’ll always be.
The key to self-treatment for depression is to be open, accepting, and loving toward yourself and what you’re going through.
Do the opposite of what the ‘depression voice’ suggests
The negative, irrational voice in your head may talk you out of self-help. However, if you can learn to recognize it, you can learn to replace it. Use logic as a weapon. If you believe an event won’t be fun or worth your time, say to yourself, “You might be right, but it’ll be better than just sitting here another night.” You may soon see the negative isn’t always realistic.
Set attainable goals
A lengthy to-do list may be so weighty that you’d rather do nothing. Instead of compiling a long list of tasks, consider setting one or two smaller goals.
For example:
- Don’t clean the house; take the trash out.
- Don’t do all the laundry that’s piled up; just sort the piles by color.
- Don’t clear out your entire email inbox; just address any time-sensitive messages.
When you’ve done a small thing, set your eyes on another small thing, and then another. This way, you have a list of tangible achievements and not an untouched to-do list.
Volunteering
Knock out a few birds with one stone — spending time with other people and doing something new — by volunteering and giving your time to someone or something else.
You may be used to receiving help from friends, but reaching out and providing help may actually improve your mental health more.
Take these suggestions and find what works for you. Depression is not what your loved ones would want you to be experiencing. They would want you well. You may not be able to see them but know that they are forever with you. . They are forever in your heart.
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