High expectations, money woes, and other holiday hazards can spell trouble for those prone to depression. For many people who have clinical depression, the holidays aren’t just hard to get through—they’re unbearable.
Know Your Limits
We all know the pressure family can impose. They may mean well, but that might be hard to remember when it seems like everyone has expectations and demands on your time. When your own family is in one place and your in-laws expect you to be in another, it is easy to feel spread too thin.
It may feel like an impossible situation, but knowing when to just say “no” will be vital for your own mental health. When you become too overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to reach out and mention that you are struggling.
You can get there from here.
Connect
It may feel like the best thing to do is to simply isolate and close yourself off from your problems and responsibilities. But, there are always individuals who can offer support. Resist the urge to shut out your friends, family and your community. Keeping in touch will mean support is just a phone call away. Engaging with a supportive community is also a great way to boost your bliss hormones, like oxytocin.
Start Something New
Starting something new is a great way to avoid sad memories from sapping your good mood; since it’s a new thing, there aren’t any memories attached to it! Your new tradition can be as big or as small, and involve as many or as little people, as you’d like.
Go for a Walk
It’s so simple, but being outside can do wonders for your mental health. Walking at a brisker pace will force you to take deeper breaths. Deep breathing helps more oxygen get into your bloodstream, which is then carried to the brain. Having plenty of oxygen traveling to your brain can be a big help in regulating imbalances.
Your mental health and wellbeing come before anything else, so focus on making this December period a happy and healthy one.
Need Help? We Can Help.
This post was written by Lani Gouws on behalf of The Bridge Therapy Center. If you have any questions or require more information, please contact Lani here: lani@bridgecentertherapy.com