Transform Your Holidays with Effective Tips for Combating Seasonal Depression and Stress

The holiday season is often celebrated with joy and festivity, but for many, it can also be a time marked by feelings of depression and stress. The pressures of the season may trigger or exacerbate existing mental health conditions, leading to experiences of sadness, loneliness, and anxiety. This phenomenon, commonly referred to as the "holiday blues," is deeply intertwined with personal events and emotions, making it a significant concern for those affected. Understanding the stressors and symptoms associated with holiday depression and stress is crucial for navigating this complex time and finding relief amidst the seasonal challenges.

What causes holiday depression?

What causes sadness is deeply personal and varies from person to person. However, many common sources of holiday stress include:

• Family dynamics: tense family gatherings or feeling isolated
• Financial pressure: the cost of purchasing gifts, traveling, and decorating and hosting for the holidays  
• Health concerns: overeating on holiday foods
• Fatigue
• Grief and loss: when a loved one passes away, holiday dynamics are different  
• Over-commercialization  
• Unrealistic expectations: personal, familial, financial, disappointments from previous year’s New Year’s resolutions  

Common holiday stressors

Finding balance amidst unspoken demands of shopping, parties, house guests, and family obligations can truly be challenging. These stressors often amplify feelings of being overwhelmed and tense. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions may worsen, and even those not typically affected by mental health struggles experience heightened stress responses. Holiday stress symptoms include:

• Loneliness, sadness, or anger
• Headaches, tension, fatigue
• Overeating or drinking too much  
• Insomnia

Healthy coping strategies for managing the holiday blues and stress

While there is so much anguish surrounding the holidays, please take hope–there are a plethora of coping strategies to employ as you look at the holidays this year.

Let’s first look at coping strategies that have to do with your thinking:

1. Be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Say no to responsibilities you can’t handle this year. Trust that others will contribute—striving for holiday perfection isn't solely your obligation.

2. Create a list and prioritize important activities. By dividing holiday tasks, you can delegate more effectively, focus on what truly matters, and feel at ease if some things remain unfinished (remember, not everything holds equal importance!). And if something doesn’t happen on the to do list, just go with it!

3. Don't pour all your energy into just one day! You can spread the holiday joy over several days, or even throughout the month. This can help relieve the stress and expectation of creating the perfect holiday.

4. Enjoy the moment. Intentionally pause to capture a mental picture of the moment you’re experiencing. Stop long enough so you'll be able to remember it later. Stop, deep breath. Allow your body to relax. Focus on the fact you’re creating a memory, not responsible for providing a perfect experience.

5. Be aware of your emotions. Write down your worries about the holidays, then analyze these thoughts to see if they are true, helpful, or realistic. If they are not, then reframe them. Explore these tips for using cognitive behavioral therapy to counter the doubts or lies that pop into your head about the holidays. Reframing your thinking can transform your holiday experience.

6. Today is today, not years past. Avoid setting yourself up for disappointment, sadness, and bitterness by not comparing this holiday to the good old days of the past. If these thoughts keep sneaking in, it’s time to sit down and reframe those thoughts, and keep telling yourself truth statements. Even if the reframed, true, accurate thought feels hard to embrace, continue telling yourself the truth. With repetition, the mind has the potential to embrace what you tell it.

Let’s turn now to some additional coping strategies that you can employ to find freedom from the stress of this holiday season:

1. Take the time to practice self-care. Looking after your mind through how you treat your body is a basic stress coping strategy.  
   • Get enough sleep (check out these tips for sleeping better)
   • Eat balanced meals throughout the holiday season  
   • Keep hydrated with water and consider an alcohol-free holiday season
   • Take downtime as needed to regroup, process your thoughts, and recharge emotionally–journal, practice cognitive behavioral therapy, take a bath, deep breath, or enjoy a walk with just you and your thoughts.
   • Stay physically active. Your mental wellbeing is closely connected to exercise––even if it’s 15 minutes a day, go for a walk, take a jog, or hit the gym.
   • Try hydrotherapy! Hot and cold showers do wonders to invigorate the body and mind.  

2. Get sunshine whenever possible. Your brain needs daylight all year, but especially in the winter. (Learn more about sunshine and seasonal affective disorder here)

3. Make time for daily gratitude and reap incredible emotional, social, and even professional benefits.

4. Stay connected with others. When feeling down, isolation might seem appealing, but it worsens depression and anxiety. Connect by joining a family event, attending church, calling a friend, or playing a board game instead of watching TV.  

5. Practice acts of kindness for others. Shifting our focus from ourselves and our own thoughts is an effective way to transform our personal perspective on life

Another technique is to look for simple, familiar ways to put stress at bay while embracing the season. What fosters fond or relaxing holiday memories? Perhaps holiday scents warmly take you back to childhood, gently awakening familiar positive emotions. In this case, light a festive candle, taking some time to enjoy the aroma. Scent can trigger relaxation, reduce stress, and even promote happiness. [i, ii] Some find that listening to familiar holiday music helps ease the mind and promote feeling more aligned with the season. For others, baking or writing holiday cards provide a heartwarming, familiar outlet.  

Reconnect with what the holidays mean to you

Reconnecting with the personal significance of the end-of-year holidays is important in navigating the season's complexities. Remember, you are not responsible for others’ happiness, nor can you control every aspect of the holiday experience. You may not even be able to address every aspect of your holiday blues or stress, but you can still take the time to reflect on how you fit into the holidays. Whether your celebration revolves around family traditions, the birth of Christ, the promise of a new beginning with the New Year, or any other personal meaning, embracing these elements can bring joy and fulfillment. By centering your holiday experience on what resonates with you, you can begin to cultivate a sense of peace and purpose that enriches the season, regardless of external pressures.

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While the holiday season can evoke a mix of joy and stress, it is essential to recognize and address the emotional challenges that many face during this time. By recognizing the common sources of holiday depression and implementing effective coping strategies, you will be better prepared to navigate the complexities of this season with greater ease. Emphasizing self-care, realistic expectations, meaningful connections, and rational thinking can transform the holiday experience from one of pressure and anxiety to one of reflection and joy. Ultimately, prioritizing mental well-being not only brings personal benefit, but also enhances the overall spirit of the holidays, allowing for a more fulfilling celebration with loved ones.

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If you're looking for something more for overcoming depression or anxiety, consider Nedley Health's Depression and Anxiety Recovery Program Online. There IS hope to live a life where peace and joy are more than a holiday card greeting. We're here to help you find freedom.

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References:

[i] Masuo, Y., Satou, T., Takemoto, H., & Koike, K. (2021). Smell and Stress Response in the Brain: Review of the Connection between Chemistry and Neuropharmacology. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(9), 2571.

[ii] de Groot, J. H., Smeets, M. A., et al. 2015). A sniff of happiness. Psychological science, 26(6), 684–700.