10 Tips To Ease Your Holiday Blues

Posted on Dec 3, 2020 | 0 comments

The Holidays are filled with festivities, holiday cheer, jolly music, decadent foods and everyone is supposed to be happy and thankful, right? No pressure at all… just be happy, right?

Wrong!!

The Holiday Blues are a lot more common than you may realize. In fact, it is suggested that more than 64% of us feel stress, anxiety, depression or some form of sadness during the Holiday season at one point.

I know I do. And this year will be no different. I actually think it is quite common to experience this.

What Can Cause Your Holiday Blues?

There are so many reasons why the holiday blues might jump up and get you. Here are a few of the major ones:

Loneliness – being single as many are, or far away from one’s family as many are, having to share children between households as many of us do. Being isolated due to the quarantine. Loneliness is a big trigger for the holiday blues, this year especially.
Memories of past holidays – this works many ways. Your mind may be tainted with sad memories from past holidays or if you are experiencing tough times, you may become sad thinking of better times in the past.
Pressure to be happy – everyone seems to be so happy, trying to force yourself to be happy triggers the holiday blues that much more.
Financial hardship – the pressure to give gifts you cannot afford…
Reminders of lost loved ones – we all think of those we have lost most at this time of year which can bring sadness.
Less sunlight and exercise; eating heavier foods – many slack on self-care during the holiday season which leads to frustration and the holiday blues.

So don’t be so hard on yourself. Here are 10 tips to ease your holiday blues that I use when I am having a moment (or 100 of them…!!).

10 Tips To Ease Your Holiday Blues

Adjust your mindset. Be realistic. So what you are alone or things are not perfect or you couldn’t buy that gift? I bet you won’t even remember it in a few years. Instead appreciate and focus on what you DO have and CAN do. Concentrate your mindset on appreciating what you have and be realistic about it. This way you will have expectations that get met.
Be kind to yourself. Instead of being frustrated that you are sad, feel what you feel and sit with it for a bit, then consciously let it go. Don’t be angry with yourself, it is ok to feel what you feel. Be aware of it. Then focus on what you do have, change that mindset, as soon as you are ready to.
Volunteer, help others. Not because it is the right thing to do during the holidays, but because it feels good to help. Even just helping a neighbor with their yard or groceries, surprise someone with dinner, volunteer in your favorite organization, any of it. This will help on many levels and is a great cure for the holiday blues.
Check in with your body. Plan out some self-care time for some exercise, a nice bath and a healthy meal filled with vegetables. Taking a little bit of time to spoil your body is also spoiling your soul and we all need that this time of year.
Stop by a place of worship and just sit for a bit. That church, synagogue, temple, mosque, prayer garden – you get it – that you always pass by? Try just stopping in and sitting for a bit when you are really feeling blue. Places of spiritual worship can bring peace and calm.
Grieve. It is a process and honestly, there is no avoiding it. So be kind to yourself and let yourself go through the stages of letting go.
Forgive. For your own sake. Forgiving someone is the ultimate form of letting go and is a healthy way for you to move on. Forgiving also releases us and fights off the holidays blues.
Exercise! Don’t skip it just because it is cold outside. Our bodies need and crave exercise. Sweat out those toxins and leave those holiday blues behind with them.
Spread a smile and some love. You can choose at any time to smile. You can choose at any time to spread a little love, in whatever way you know how. Try it and see how it makes you feel.
Don’t be afraid to seek professional help if it gets to much. You are not alone. Whether you need a coach, a psychiatrist, a doctor or just a friend, reach out. It is ok. Many of us feel the way you do and together we can all get thought it.