The holidays can prove to be a challenge for individuals who are feeling down. The holiday season makes battling depression harder than it already is. Our article will highlight coping strategies and tactics to make the holidays feel brighter and less lonely. Let us dive right into learning how to manage depression during the holidays:

How to Manage Depression During the Holidays: Recognizing Holiday Depression

Holiday depression generally comes up during festive times. People might feel intense sadness as well as loneliness during the holiday season, even when they have loved ones around them, engaging in fun holiday traditions. Signs of depression include not having interest in any activity they once enjoyed indulging in, alterations in appetite, problematic sleep patterns, and feeling lazy and tired every day. Paying close attention to these signs is the primary step in the management of depression efficiently.

Holiday Depression: Origins of Holiday Blues

Holiday blues are real. Numerous factors trigger depression during the holiday season, right from holiday stress and depression due to attending holiday gatherings as well as social obligations. This specific time of the year often overwhelms individuals with very high expectations from themselves as well as their interaction with other individuals. 

Financial issues, hassle caused due to traveling, as well as the desire to make the holidays a good and memorable experience add on additional pressure. Individuals also face amplified fatigue since they try to handle excessive tasks in little time. 

Stress or depression during this period does not merely dampen holiday spirits; it holds the potential to harm an individual’s mental well-being majorly. It also enhances the danger of substance misuse, since some individuals may take the help of alcohol or hard drugs to cope with their destructive feelings of depression, such as sadness or stress, loneliness, etc. 

There could be numerous reasons or causes of holiday depression. Isolations, mainly heightened by recent world events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, adds feelings such as alienation or desperation amongst individuals who are already facing serious mental health and behavioral health issues like anxiety disorders, MOD, etc.

Typical Symptoms of Depression

When it comes to depression symptoms, individuals might feel intense sadness or extreme lack of happiness in tasks or activities they once enjoyed when suffering from clinical depression, especially around the holidays. This might lead to depression and amplify feelings such as or sadness or loneliness, especially during periods when they should be joyful. This makes the lives of people with clinical depression even harder.

The symptoms of feeling depressed during the holidays also include major alterations in appetite as well as issues related to sleep patterns, whether eating extra or less than usual, sleeping excessively, or experiencing insomnia. Many individuals also experience excess fatigue but fail to pinpoint the exact reason why; they actually feel devoid of energy without any indications or reasons. 

Signs extend way beyond emotional distress; effects, both physical and cognitive, are very common as well. People might struggle with mental health-deteriorating feelings of guilt and worthlessness, thereby finding it extremely challenging to get rid of negative thoughts regarding themselves.

Tactics for Coping With Holiday Depression

Finding different ways to cope with depression or manage holiday sadness is a highly important task. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to manage negative feelings. Simple acts, such as talking openly regarding your feelings, or going outside for a walk or other activities can prove to make massive differences. Let us take a look at some tactics related to coping with depression or tips to help reduce negative feelings in detail:

Indulge in Physical Activities & Outdoor Experiences

• When stress levels increase, take a stroll through local parks, safe trails, etc. Such areas offer peaceful and secure environments which aid in lowering stress levels as well as improving mental well-being.
• Certain kinds of depression get elevated due to lack of movement or exercises. Schedule regular exercises including jogging, cycling, swimming, etc. Frequent exercising makes chemicals inside the brain which serve as natural antidepressants.
• People living with depression often isolate themselves. Spending the holidays alone makes it even harder for individuals to reduce negative feelings. This is why it is important to go out and indulge in outdoor games with loved ones. Doing so not only adds to an individual’s physical health, but also solidifies their support system, which is crucial for fighting against depressive episodes.
• Enroll in fitness classes which are held outdoors, such as yoga classes in the park, in order to mix the advantages of physical activity with those of interacting socially.
• Become a volunteer for clean-up events which take place in the community. Doing so offers a sense of purpose in addition to minimizing negative feelings by shifting the focus to helping others.
• Engage in mindfulness exercises such as Tai Chi or Qigong, especially outdoors to mix physical movement with tactics of mental relaxation and to reduce anxiety and depression levels.
• Plant trees in the garden or make time to tend to the existing ones. Gardening is a highly therapeutic activity which can make signs of stress and anxiety go away besides fostering feelings of success and accomplishment.
• Adopt a dog which requires regular walks. Doing so will motivate routine outdoor holiday activities besides offering companionship, which is highly beneficial for people who are struggling with affective disorders.

Communicate Feelings With Individuals Who are Supportive

Holidays may prove to be a tough time for individuals suffering from depression, especially those who have no one to talk to. After indulging in different kinds of physical activities, sharing your feelings with people who are supportive aids in the management of depression, especially during the holiday season. Trusted family members, as well as friends can provide listening ears and offer comfort. This action allows people struggling with depression to express their emotions in a safe manner, minimizing sadness or loneliness. 

Support systems also play a major role when it comes to offering empathy and guidance. Whether it is relying on close ones or seeking assistance from mental health experts, having a person or group of people to talk to makes a massive difference. Both Mental Health America as well as NAMI highly recommend muilding such close connections for emotional support and well-being during tough times.

Setting Up Personal Boundaries

Establishing personal boundaries during the holiday season helps in the management of stress. Moreover, it also protects the individual’s well being. It means deciding the amount of time and energy to give away to events during holidays, such as holiday parties, holiday get-togethers, and other social obligations. 

Learning to say the word “No” can prove to be a very potent tool for minimizing holiday pressure as well as avoiding burnout. This action is very important for those struggling to cope with sadness or the management of seasonal depression, since it facilitates them to make self-care their priority instead of fulfilling societal expectations. 

Evaluating relationships as well as establishing clear-cut boundaries is very crucial in the preservation of one’s mental well-being, especially during the highly-stressful holiday season. By limiting their involvement in any activity which does not their mental health well, individuals make more space to practice stuff which supports their journey of recovery, including light therapy for managing seasonal affective disorder, or going for consultations with mental healthcare providers.

Making a Personalized Coping Toolkit for Managing Depression

Creating your very own coping toolkit for dealing with depression assists you in finding efficient outlets for managing tough feelings. You will explore tools such as a tracker which tracks your mood, information on support groups, as well as exercises for mental well-being. These resources empower individuals to stand tall against challenges and face them with confidence. Moreover, they also offer help whenever needed. Start exploring the said tools to make the process of managing depression easier.

Creating a Personal Coping Sheet

Creating a personalized coping sheet can prove to be a very potent tool in terms of managing depression, primarily during the festive season. This simple yet brilliant tactic involves listing numerous activities which elevate the individual’s mood in addition to promoting relaxation. Here are some examples: 

• Light candles in order to create a calm and soothing environment to relax with ease.
• Listen to classical music since research shows that it works effectively in terms of lowering blood pressure, as well as easing anxiety.
• Painting pictures facilitate individuals in expressing their emotions without saying them out loud, thereby offering a release from sorrowful and heavy thoughts.
• Meditating regularly aids in focusing on the ongoing events, thereby lowering stress levels in addition to clinical anxiety.
• Indulge in spirituality or exercises which promote calm breathing to maintain balance when you experience emotional breakdowns or moments of major stress.
• Journal daily as it offers an outlet for healthily processing emotions as well as recognizing mental illness patterns.
• Trying out acupuncture could potentially provide relief by targeting specific body points which are associated with regulation of mood.
• Engaging in spirituality as well as calm breathing exercises for maintaining balance when facing emotional breakdowns is yet another effective activity which helps in bettering the mood of individuals.

Discover Supportive Applications & Helpful Resources

After making a personalized coping sheet, getting a hold of supportive apps besides helpful mental health services and resources is second in line. Such tools provide extra support for managing depression in a more effective manner. 

• Use wellness apps which act as a reminder for you to practice the act of mindfulness or meditating regularly. For instance, Headspace is an app which offers guided sessions to minimize stress.
• Download fitness applications which promote physical tasks, which meta-analysis research highlights can effectively treat symptoms of depression. Two examples include MyFitnessPals and the Nike Training Club app.
• Look for green spaces within your area with the help of Google Maps and discover outdoor experiences that are synonymous to lower risks of psychiatric disorders.
• Utilize SAMHSA’s official helpline app for free help from reputed public health agencies whenever you are feeling overwhelmed.
• Download mood tracking applications on your smartphone for monitoring your emotions as well as identifying triggers. Two such apps are Moodpath and Daylio.
• Search for telemedicine platforms in order to connect with qualified therapists or psychiatrists right from your residence.
• Subscribe and listen to mental health podcasts which discuss different types of depression coping mechanisms and tactics. The Hilarious World of Depression and Therapy Chat are two popular names in the genre.
• Seek help from emergency department hotlines as well as suicide prevention resources which are available 24/7 if you are facing issues. There are numerous national alliances on mental illness readily available. One such hotline is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Conclusion

Managing mental health conditions such as depression, especially during the festive season requires trying out numerous tactics. Physical tasks, spending time with loved ones, listening to calm music, etc., are some activities which help in uplifting the mood. Similarly, establishing clear-cut strategies helps in the protection of personal energy. Volunteering connects individuals to members of the different communities and offers them purpose. Besides these, creating a personal toolkit consisting of engaging applications and resources prepares individuals for challenging times. 

Although the aforementioned strategies are helpful, it is important to seek help from professionals at a reputed treatment clinic. Remember, reaching out at the earliest to mental health professionals for obtaining treatment for depression or close ones can make a massive difference in the management of holiday blues.