Avoiding the Holiday Blues
Let’s face it, the holidays come with a shared feeling of ambivalence, especially as we continue contending with COVID-19. There will be losses, as bleak as that sounds; loss of seeing folks we love, loss of feeling free to travel (without a bout of anxiety sprinkled here and there) and for some, the loss of how the holidays could have been, if we decided not show up for Thanksgiving. All possibilities aside, let us take a moment of pause, BREATHE, and in this moment of pause, decide to accept that this year, especially now more than ever, we are being forced to be creative and flexible in our lives, and how we relate. I’m a strong proponent of reconstructing routines and rituals as a sure foundation to surviving the Pandemic. Take the time and space to build routines that refuel you. Create stillness in the mind healthily. These small acts of self-kindness go a long way, as avoiding the holiday blues will leave you feeling refreshed in the New Year.
To avoid the holiday blues, here are some quick tips that you can implement throughout your day/ week, before the ball drops. As you do so, have fun with it. Self-care does not have to feel like to you are adding more to do; think of it as taking things off your plate! Tip #1 reach out and try not to isolate. It can feel easier to cope with the support of others. If you do not have a supportive group or tribe, Google a mental health professional that can help you cope with the holiday blues through text or virtual therapy . Tip #2, listen to jokes / inspirational stories that will uplift your mood. Laughter and inspiration release feel good hormones like Endorphins and Oxytocin, which stimulate feelings of empathy, trust and happiness. Tip #3, offer compliments to others. It feels really good to offer generosity, and it's free! Tip #4, mend things with others by accepting and giving apologies if possible. Holding a grudge can hurt more as we sit with unresolved business. It is the holding onto, the grasping, that leads to suffering. Tip #5, Meditate! The benefits of meditation are paramount: from gaining perspective in a stressful situation, increasing self-awareness, increasing focus on the present, reducing negative emotions and cortisol in the body, greater imagination and creativity, increasing patience and tolerance, better sleep, and other stress busting benefits. (May Clincic, 2020). Tip #6, take deep breaths often. Increasing your oxygenation levels has shown to improve your health. Optimum levels of oxygen can improve healing, vision, mental clarity, boost your immune system, and help reduce stress. For a quick breath technique, try box breathing. Take four breaths in, hold for four, exhale for four counts, ending with four counts with empty lungs. You'll feel a greater sense of relaxation while calming calm the nervous system. Tip #7, within moderation, talking on the phone or video chat (staying connected) can give us something to look forward to and uplift your mood. Just don't overdue it. Tip #8, celebrate your /others successes. Write a list of the things you've accomplished this year or throughout your life and let someone know they're doing a good job. Appreciation helps us focus on the positivity, shifting our thinking away from the mental fog caused by cycles of negative thinking. Tip #9, get busy writing your autobiography. Writing out your life's story has some seriously powerful healing effects. When we reflect on where we've been, it can open the doors to where we want to go. Tip #10, experience some energy work. If you've never had Reiki, now would be a great time. Reiki has some powerful calming effects on the mind/body/spirit, that can last for days. Many practitioners are offering distance healing sessions, right over the phone. Don't know what the Reiki buzz is about? Experience it for yourself! Tip #11, let others help you. Asking for help can feel scary. Yet, when we let others help us, we can feel supported, heard and seen. Check out more tips to avoid the holiday blues at the end of this article.
Lastly, lean into gratitude rather than resolutions for 2021. Many studies over the past decade have found that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed (The Gratitude Project, 2020). While everyone may not share the same perspective(s) on the meaning of the holiday season, we can definitely when we identify something to be grateful for. I for one, am grateful: to have survived COVID-19, grateful to serve my community in healing from COVID-19, grateful to my family for respecting that I do not share the same perspectives as many, grateful for having support, especially when I have felt most doubtful. For those who have not yet found something to be grateful for, I offer you gratitude and blessings for being on this earth, as the earth continues to renew itself. Offer gratitude and blessings, because somewhere out there someone may be feeling just like you, and you are never truly alone. Offer gratitude and blessings, because no matter what life brings, there is always a hidden gift of wisdom on the other side of—that—adversity. We can continuously use this time of uncertainty to create meaning in our lives, over and over again. May your holiday be filled with wonder, a wonder of possibilities, curiosity about what life has to offer you, and may this year, in time, reflect a pandemic of hope!
Quick Tips to Beat the Blues: 1.Reach out if you are feeling down 2. Listen to Jokes / Inspirational Stories 3. Offer Compliments to others 4. Accept and Give Apologies 5. Meditate 6. Take deep breaths often 7. Talk on the phone or video Chat 8. Celebrate your & other's successes 9. Write your Life's Story 10. Experience Energy work 11. Let people help 12. Join an online or Facebook Group 13. Get a PenPal 14. Cry together / Laugh together 15. Set boundaries! 16. Get a Divination Deck - Have fun with uncertainty! 17. Find a guided imagery recording or video 18. Read something that will change your life 19. Get Creative! 20. Move your body
Written by: Giovanna Kapsi, LMHC, CASAC, MA