The holiday season is the time for friends, couples, and family to gather together and celebrate the season with good cheer. From family dinners to ice skating on the lake, you can see smiles on the faces of so many people happy to be enjoying social time together. Unfortunately, for some individuals, seeing others celebrating with happiness and joy brings on their annual course of holiday depression, and that’s where the following tips can help! Of course depression counseling is an excellent alternative as well.
Holiday depression can be brought on by a wide variety of reasons although the main ones are usually loneliness/lack of significant other, past trauma, and the grief that comes from a lost loved one who is no longer with you for you to enjoy the holidays. If you experience holiday depression, here are three suggestions that can help you overcome your seasonal sadness.
Actively Socialize
Schedule time for yourself to go out, meet new people, and socialize. Facebook groups and Meetup.com offer many options for people to meet like-minded individuals. You can easily find a group that’s centered around a hobby or an activity that you like to do. Ensuring that you have some people to meet up with will help you to feel like a part of the holiday cheer. Social interaction can relieve depression and also acts as a mood booster. As an added benefit, you can develop new friendships with people who may just spend the next holiday season with you.
Keep A Journal
Select a beautifully bound book or a simple notebook in which to keep a written record of your thoughts and feelings. It can be quite therapeutic to release your emotions through writing. You can also help alleviate depression by reading and reflecting on your concerns using your journal. Writing your thoughts down can help to empty your mind of the things that are troubling you so that you have room to focus on all the delights the season has to offer.
Take Care Of Your Health
Winter is the most important time of the year to ensure that your body has proper nutrition. Eating nothing but the readily available junk food will prevent your body from healing itself which can make your depression worse. Exercise can have a potent anti-depressive effect on your mood. Endorphins released during exercise have a positive mood-altering effect on the brain. Staying on your exercise program also helps you to get good sleep. Proper deep sleep after the necessary periods of REM help to balance your hormones and ward off depression. Lastly, make sure you get some sun. With the sun only available for a few hours every day, you must get outside and experience at least 10 minutes of it per day. Lack of sunlight can exacerbate depression.
If none of these tips help you or you are experiencing overwhelming depression, you can always reach out to the compassionate therapist at Life Changes Therapy. Life Changes Therapy is always here to help those who are suffering from feelings of loneliness, loss, and depression during the holiday season or at any other time. Let us help you reclaim your holiday cheer!
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