Holiday Tunes or Holiday Blues Coping with Depression this Holiday Season
The holidays are coming up. For many people, this is a joyous time. After the last year, especially, it seems we have a lot of reasons to be grateful. But, not everyone is ready for the emotions that come this time of the year.
We are still dealing with a virus that mutates with different variants. While the vaccine rate has gone up, many people are still making the decision to stay away from loved ones. And, then, there are the normal issues that come with the holiday season. Feeling sorrow over deaths, distance, or family feuds leaves many people with feelings of depression.
Unfortunately, depression around the holidays is all too common. Especially now, when holiday gatherings are advised against or not possible. Whatever the reason you may be feeling depressed this holiday season, it might be hard for you to know how to cope. Coping with holiday depression is not easy, so we want to offer tips on how to make it through this holiday season.
Utilize Technology
Having a face-to-face connection and being in the presence of our loved ones is so important. Nothing could ever replace the feeling of being within 2 feet of someone you deeply care about and feeling their hugs and touch.
We know that apps like FaceTime or Google Duo can never replace the intimacy that comes from being together. But, one thing that we can be grateful for is the technology that makes a face-to-face meeting possible.
If you are feeling alone this holiday season, you can not only pick your phone up and call someone, but you can do a video chat with them. While it won’t be the same as seeing them in person, you’ll likely end the video chat with a smile on your face.
Start New Traditions
From mid-October to early January, the season is full of memories of past traditions. If you are coping with loss of family members or they no longer live near them, these memories can feel especially haunting during the holiday season.
You can never replace the memories or traditions that you hold dear to your heart, but why not start new ones? It may be challenging with the pandemic, but you can start new traditions alone or with family members. If you are comfortable, set aside a weekend afternoon to meet with friends and family. You can watch a movie together (even watch together via video chat through apps like Kast.) Or even something as simple as going to a coffee shop and getting hot cooca.
The traditions of your past, no matter why they ended, can never be replaced. But, you can face this holiday season and future ones with the promise of new traditions and new memories. It will give you something to look forward to, no matter what it is or who it’s with.
Grieving? Do Something In Memory Of Them
At some point, every person will face a loss in their life that makes the holiday season unbearable. No matter if it happened in the last year, or your loved one has been gone for years, this time of year is especially potent on the grieving process. It can feel really tempting to let the grief take completely over during the holidays. It leaves a black, dark cloud over what should be a joyous time.
One way we have found to ease the pain of someone being gone is doing something in memory of them each holiday season. We have heard of people putting up a special display with their photo, watching their favorite movies, or sharing memories of them with other people. Nothing could ever replace their presence during this time, but it will give you something to remember them by throughout the season.
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The holiday season can make us feel as if we are singing the holiday blues instead of holiday tunes. No matter why you are feeling down this holiday season, know that you are not alone in this struggle. If you need someone to talk to about your depression, please reach out to the office today.