Stress and depression can ruin your holidays and hurt your health. Being realistic, planning ahead and seeking support can help ward off stress and depression.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
“Being Fearless” when it comes to the Holidays means taking control! The Mayo Clinic offers some tips to help you do that (see below). “Tis the Season to Be Fearless” (album cover art above) is a Holiday-themed compilation by Fearless Records from 2010. Somehow the idea of being fearless in the face of the Holidays appealed to me and addressed the topic of stress and depression during this time of year. We are all at risk of becoming stressed out and even depressed nowadays! Why is that and what do we do about it?
Many of us had “jolly holidays” growing up. It was easy! We got time off from school, received presents, ate good food and sugary treats, and had friends and family over. Needless to say, as adults the charm began to wear off. We began to feel a sense of loss which many of us tried to overcome by “faking it”.
Certainly, there is still much to enjoy about the Holidays, but the thin line between choice and obligation gets pretty blurry, we tend to try too hard, get worn out, and feel inadequate and even guilty. Circumstances over which we have no control seem to own us. We find it necessary to do things we wouldn’t otherwise do, like:
- spending too much money
- eating too much rich food
- attending events that we dread
- trying too hard to make sure everyone has a good time
- attempting to discover just the right gift to give to each person on that long, long list
Furthermore, we are loaded up on expectations of how it SHOULD BE, how we SHOULD FEEL. What could possibly go wrong when we set ourselves up like that? Are we a victim of our circumstances? Do we NEED to put ourselves under so much pressure? In one word . . . NO! But how do we take control and manage what’s going on around us?
First of all, it isn’t about taking control of and managing what’s going on around us. It’s about taking control of ourselves, so that we can better handle the pressure. As I mentioned above, The Mayo Clinic offers some words of advice. Here is their list of tips titled, Stress, depression and the holidays: Tips for coping
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Acknowledge your feelings
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Reach out
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Be realistic
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Set aside differences
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Stick to a budget
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Plan ahead
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Learn to say no
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Don’t abandon healthy habits
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Take a breather
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Seek professional help, if you need it
In particular, acknowledging your feelings is important, but don’t just acknowledge them … accept them. You are not a victim of circumstances unless you choose to be. You are the architect of your own life.
Don’t judge yourself and don’t judge others. Remember that many of us are struggling and often can’t find our way out of the trap we’ve set for ourselves.