Tips to Keep the Holiday Blues Away

Those holiday commercials like to show people getting cars, jewelry and every other kind of gift for Christmas. The people in the ads are always happy and smiling. Nobody ever seems to be disappointed.

While the holidays are meant to be a time of joy and happiness but for some people the season can be filled with stress and sadness, according to those in the mental health field. 

The “Holiday Blues” can be attributed to a number of factors from financial stress and too many parties and alcoholic beverages, to unrealistic expectations and over-commercialization of the holidays, according to the Mental Health America website. Mental Health America is a nonprofit dedicated to helping people live mentally healthier lives.

Here are some suggestions for coping with stress and depression at the holidays:

• Be realistic about what you can and can’t do and don’t put all of the focus on one day of the year, like Christmas.
• Keep reasonable expectations. Don’t try to do everything. Set reasonable goals, pace yourself, prioritize activities by importance and try to organize your time.
• Do something for someone else. Try volunteering some time to help others.
• Try something new. Start a new holiday tradition.
• Don’t get caught up in what happened in the past. Look to the future and don’t compare this holiday season to the “good old days.”
• Enjoy free activities such as looking at holiday lights, window-shopping or enjoying time playing with children.
• Be aware that excessive drinking may only increase feelings of depression.
• Spend time with supportive and caring people.
• Make time for yourself.
• Live in the moment and enjoy the present.

Sources: Medicinenet.com and Mental Health America

For seniors, the holidays can also be a difficult time with feelings of sadness, loneliness and isolation, according to Richard Ueberfluss, a physical therapist and president of Assisting Hands Chicago, a home care agency based in . 

Some of the reasons seniors may feel sad including being widowed, losing close friends as they age, being separated from family and suffering from ill health, he said. Family members may also feel pressure because they are trying to balance spending time with their families while feeling guilty that they are not spending enough time with their senior parents.

“It’s not unusual for seniors to hide their feelings of isolation and sadness from family members during the holidays because they don't want to worry the family by displaying these feeling or try to deny them,” Uberfluss said in a news release.

If you or someone you know is depressed and needs to talk with someone the DuPage County Crisis Intervention Unit is available 24-hours a day. To contact the unit call, 630-627-1700. In Will County contact the Will & Grundy County Crisis line at 630-759-4555.