People and in particular women, can be prey to depression at or after the holidays due to a number of reasons – overspending, lack of rest, the stress of entertaining, and overloaded schedules – all of these can contribute to depression.
Also there could be that feeling of letdown when the festivities are over; so here are some tips to keep holiday depression at bay –
- Maintain contact with friends and family all the year round, not just around the holidays.
- Keep physically active – this helps improve mood and better brain function.
- Remember to count your blessings and give gratitude for all that is positive in life.
- Get enough good quality sleep.
- Do things that are worthwhile – the holidays are not just about shopping and wrapping.
- Watch what and how much you eat and drink.
- Don’t stress too much about being perfect; about decorating and entertaining perfectly. Rather than cooking, consider going out to eat.
- If cash is short, let your family know the reason that expensive gifts are not possible. Create other kinds of gifts such as an inexpensive family outing, or other ways to spend time together.
- For lingering depression, make sure you get help and don’t ignore your condition.
