Many people struggle with the blues during the holiday season. Sometimes this is simply carried over from the blues one can feel this time of year when the colder weather sets in, and it starts getting dark outside earlier and earlier.
But the holidays present a particularly daunting situation for many people. It is a time when we often reminisce about the past, which can often lead to feelings of sadness or longing. It also often causes us to focus on why we feel something is missing from our lives, a certain level of discontentment. If you have lost someone, the holiday season can often seem the hardest to endure.
In this article, I wanted to share some ideas on how one can maybe fight off some of these blues or get out of that vicious cycle of negativity that hits some of us during the holidays. These tips are geared towards people who are just suffering from the blues, or feeling particularly bummed out. That said, if you are feeling severely depressed to the point where you are even thinking about suicide, please know you are not alone and that there are people you can talk to who can help: the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for the United States is 1-800-273-8255.
Here are five tips that just might help you ward off those holiday blues:
Attitude of gratitude. Thanksgiving may have come and gone, but that’s no reason you can’t take a minute or two to think about all the things you’re thankful and grateful for. Even if you’re feeling down and out or in the dumps, it’s almost certain you have at least a few things you can think of that remind you that your life isn’t so bad.
Get some perspective. As bad as things can seem sometimes, chances are there are millions of people in this country alone who have it much worse than you do. Try to focus more on what you do have, not on what you don’t have. Often when we are in the dumps, we are very self-absorbed, focused on how our life stinks, feeling sorry for ourselves. Sometimes it helps to turn your gaze outward at the bigger picture, to think of all the people who are less fortunate than you.
Give a little. If you have the funds, take part in a program in your area which provides toys for children who would otherwise go without during the holiday season. In Oklahoma, where I currently reside, we have Toys For Tots and YWCA Comfort & Joy, among others. You could even volunteer at a soup kitchen. The idea is to get outside of yourself, and to feel how good it can feel to give to others without expecting anything in return. It can work wonders in making you feel the joy of giving and is very likely to lift your spirits.
Watch It’s A Wonderful Life. The 1946 Frank Capra film starring James Stewart as George Bailey encompasses many of the above tips. When George hits rock bottom and feels hopeless, he is on the verge of jumping off a bridge into frigid water to end his life. He jumps into the water upon seeing and hearing a man who has suddenly appeared in the water seemingly out of nowhere. The man turns out—to George’s disbelief—to be his guardian angel. From there, George is shown what things would be like if he’d never been born: he realizes the impact his life has had on so many other peoples’ lives, and is infused with a new love of life and a renewed sense of love and gratitude for his family and everyone else in his life. Regardless of your state of mind, it is an uplifting story and just might help get you out of the doldrums.
Try some of these things and see if they don't help you overcome the blues over the holidays.
Michael Senior - Michael Senior, freelance writer/artist/musician
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