Beat the Holiday Blues

Written December 2006

“Tis the Season to be Jolly?” For some, the busy Christmas season is just the opposite. The holidays can bring a great deal of stress and feelings of being overwhelmed or depressed to many. According to a 2003 survey released by the National Women’s Health Resource Center, two thirds of the survey respondents report they have suffered from depression during the holidays. The survey also found that the terms “stress and anxiety” were the first things that came to mind when thinking about the holiday season and not giving gifts, family or holiday cheer.

So what can be done to beat the holiday blues? I’m not an authority on the subject, in fact my degree in Elementary Education didn’t give me very much help. It has been 34 years of marriage and raising my large family of eight children (and now 11 grandchildren) that has helped me learn a few things through experience. The following suggestions are things that have helped me through the years to have a Merry Christmas and keep my sanity too.

SIMPLIFY: It’s easy in our desire to have a perfect Christmas to plan too many things into the schedule. Make a list of things you want to do: parties and activities you want to attend and gifts you want to give, then be realistic. Decide what you really want to do and what is most important for you and your family, then let the rest wait until another year. Sometimes even old traditions can cause us too much stress and need to be changed or replace with new traditions. Once you have put your plans and goals in writing or on your calendar, be flexible. Be prepared to change your plans later on if you need to.

EAT HEALTHY: Sometimes when life gets hectic, we forget to take care of our physical needs. Good nutrition is so important! Don’t skip meals because you are on the go and think you are too busy. Eat a good breakfast and have plenty of healthy snacks available to munch on like fruits and veggies. Sometimes in moments of stress we turn to junk food or sweets to give us an energy boost. You will really feel blue in January if you have added extra pounds because of your poor eating habits in December.

TAKE TIME TO EXERCISE: No matter how busy you are, plan time to exercise. Skipping your regular aerobic workouts may be eliminating the very thing that will help you survive. As an aerobics instructor for more than 22 years, I had to show up for class, even during December. I found that exercise actually became a stress release for me. After working out, I had a happier disposition, better attitude and actually more energy to accomplish the tasks that needed to be done.

REMEMBER THE THREE D’S: As a mother and homemaker, if you have feelings of depression, do the things that are absolutely necessary and let the rest go until you feel better. I think the three essential homemaking tasks can be summarized into the three D’s: Dinner, Dishes and Dirty laundry. Get up early enough to get at least one load of laundry done. Plan and start preparing dinner in the morning so you will have a nutritious meal for your family and won’t have to resort to fast food too often. Even if your day is busy, try to load the dishwasher or soak your dishes so they can be washed later. If the day is too hectic to accomplish these things, don’t feel guilty to use the system of “selected neglect”: decide what has to be done today, and neglect the other less important things.

SPREAD SOME HOLIDAY CHEER: A top priority during the holidays should be to do kind deeds and bring some happiness to someone else in need. I love to sing and especially love Christmas music. A family tradition I enjoyed as a child was Christmas caroling to the elderly or widows in our neighborhood. I have carried this on with my own family and have found it brings the true spirit of Christmas into our own lives as well as those we sing to.

Remember the real reason for the season and rise above the blues to share your smile and Christmas spirit with everyone you can.