We generally think of the holidays as a joyous, happy period. The period of time between Thanksgiving and New Year's is a time in American culture for much celebration. People come together to eat, sing, share gifts and the camaraderie of each others' presence. But there is an increasing body of knowledge that says that the holidays are a period of time that is, for many, stressful at the least and for others, downright depressing. Consider for a moment the following information:
1. The Thanksgiving to New Year's holiday season occurs during the time of year when there are the fewest number of hours of daylight. Research has shown that ten percent of our population is significantly affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Regardless of other factors related to the holidays, sufferers of true Seasonal Affective Disorder may experience chronic fatigue, difficulty in sleeping, irritability, and feelings of sadness.2. For most individuals, all of the activities of the holidays must be piled on top of all of their other responsibilities that, for most people, include both work and family. The 168 hours that there are in every week cannot be expanded. Consequently, many individuals feel a significant time crunch.
3. Only about 25% of all individuals are living within what would be considered a traditional family at the present time. Death, separation, divorce, remarriage, and job-related separations cause many individuals to feel a dissonance with the traditional holiday-related values.
4. The majority of Americans spend somewhere between 95% and 100% of each paycheck. Again, the period of time between Thanksgiving and New Year's brings about special costs that often increase debt. The research in couples counseling indicates that financial stresses and pressures create significant and long-lasting effects on marriages.
- Manage your time effectively. Write out your gift and grocery shopping lists before you leave home. Try not to wait until the last minute when crowds and traffic make an already daunting task even more so.
- Prioritize and then set reasonable goals. You can't do everything, no matter how much you want to or feel you need to. Decide what's truly important to you, and focus on those things. It's OK to say "No".
- Consider alternatives. If "traditional" holiday celebrations get you down, consider creating new ones. Try something different this year.
- Look for free or low-cost gifts and activities to celebrate the season. In fact, nurture your creative side by making some or all of your holiday gifts. Chances are that the recipients will appreciate them even more knowing that you put a piece of yourself into them. Don't think you're creative? The internet is full of craft ideas, or set aside an hour or two to walk the aisles of any craft store, or even the craft department at the local Wal-Mart for ideas.
- Delegate. If you have family and friends that you celebrate the holidays with, let them share in the preparations too. Why should you have all the fun?
- Set reasonable spending limits. Don't get the New Year off to a stressful start by dreading those credit cards bills that remind you each month of how much you overspent during the holiday. And even better, decide early next year how much you want to spend for next year, and start saving some each month during the year.
- Watch what you eat. Why go from feeling bad during the holidays to worse afterwards because of all that extra weight you put on? Enjoy all that delicious food, just do so in moderation. Your scales will be glad you did.
- If you drink, do so in moderation. This one goes without saying, especially if you're on meds. And by all means, have a designated driver or catch a cab home!
- Do something for someone else. One of the best ways to feel better is to help someone else. There are countless volunteer opportunities available during the holiday season.
- Holiday depression and stress (Medicinenet.com)
- Holiday depression and stress (Mental Health America)
- Depression and the Holidays (University of Pennsylvania Health System)
- Stress, depression and the Holidays: 12 tips for coping (MayoClinic.com)
2 comments:
Thank you for this, Syd. Last year I had a terrible time with Christmas. It's the time crunch. When your life is already so busy, it's hard to try to live up to all others expect from me - but more usually, what I expect from myself. The commercialism gets me down as well - mountains of fliers coming to the door that just end up in the garbage. Such a waste of trees! Such a time of excess!
I will try to make use of some of these suggestions though. Perhaps this year will be better.
Great advice. I think that we should all link to this post. Years ago, my mom wrote this funny poem about Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The Thanksgiving turkey is
still in deep freeze,
but the streets are all lined
with Christmas trees.
I agree with Marja that it's gotten worse and worse. But, for me it's gotten better since I've learned to try and follow my heart and celebrate the holidays with the people who I love and who love me.
Susan
Post a Comment