‘TistheseasonfortheHoliday Blues.What is it about the holiday season that has some people singing along to Blue Christmas while others are in high spirits singing Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree?
Is it the change of the seasons? Is it the stress of the holidays? The financial and social expectations paired with negative feelings of past holiday experiences, that drives people’s anxiety into high gear? Or is it all the above?
The Holiday Blues are characterized by temporary feelings of anxiety and or depression during the holiday season, usually beginning in November or December ending shortly after the end of the New Year; and can affect up to 64% of people with an already existing mental health condition. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which lasts 40% of the year, starting in early fall and ending by spring or summer, has symptoms that aremoresevereanddebilitating compared to the Holiday Blues, which are fairly much more mild.
Symptoms of the Holiday Blues can be characterized as follows: changes to appetite and weight, changes in sleep patterns, depression or irritable mood, difficulty concentrating, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, feeling more tired than usual, feeling tense, worried, helpless, anxious, or losing interest or pleasure in doing things that you usually enjoy. There can be a number of reasons that one feels this way. Whether it is stress about the current economy, political climate, not to mention the change of social norms over the last few years.
Things that someone can do if they are feeling a sense of uncertainty is to first acknowledge that all is not hopeless. Some people try to look for the positive in their lives to remind themselves that this too shall pass.
Venturing out of the house to take a walk, visiting friends and family that may not be capable of getting out on their own. Others find comfort in giving back to the community by volunteering their time or donating to those that are less fortunate. Even the smallest steps of taking out the trash, checking the mail, or just walking the dog can help release those endorphins to boost your mood.
For anybody who finds their mood has not changed after the first of the year and are experiencing the same feelings each year, it is possible one is experiencing something more like (SAD) or the Post-Holiday Blues. As with any mental health crisis please talk to a mental health professional to determine if one is experiencing a significant mood disorder.
Lifeline: 1(800) 273-8255, Dial988,EmotionalDistress/ Suicide Crisis, National Suicide Prevention Life Line