The holidays are sometimes not only stressful, but it can be depressing for many parents. Luckily, there are ways for people to cope, especially parents that are not sure they can handle the holiday. Between holiday depression and seasonal depression, it’s not easy for many, but luckily, there are ways for you to cope with this in a positive mindset, in order to make you better and happier.
How to Cope with Holiday Depression
Take Care of Yourself
While this is usually the season about giving, you should make sure to take care of yourself too. Your mental health matters, and if you’re depressed, it can impact how you approach the holidays.
If you need time for yourself, make time for yourself. Engage in self-care activities. This is very important if you feel depressed due to not being able to see family. Remember, taking care of yourself is one of the best things you can do, and it can help not only with depression, but also anxiety during the holidays.
Make Time for Physical Activity
Physical activity is good not only for your physical health, but your mental health It takes your attention out of your head, improves focus and concentration, and it can relax the body over time. If you’re depressed about the holidays, some physical activity can be done to boost your spirits.
It may be a bit cold for outdoor activity, but even bundling up and taking a walk offers many benefits, especially when tackling depression. Make sure to be mindful of the intensity of the exercise, especially if you have breathing problems. Keep your Asthma inhaler with you just in case. If you need to buy one at a low price, you can do so online.
You may try to blow this off due to not having “time” but if you do put some precedence on your physical health, it can improve mental health too.
Do Things You Love
Sometimes depressive spells are awful, and you feel like you can’t get out of them. Well, doing things you love is a good way to take care of yourself.
Christmas and Christmas shopping is stressful for everyone, so once you’re done, you should do something that you love.
Doing things you love makes life easier, can make the overall holiday much more tolerable, and it’s better for you. Even just doing a couple of things you love makes a big difference in the overall state of your mental health too.
Distract Your Attention
Finally, try to distract your attention from depressing thoughts. If you’re depressed about the holidays and how you feel, you can always do things that will distract you from that.
Alone on Christmas? Try to give yourself a fun little staycation!
COVID has made it harder to distract, since it’s all in your face, but doing something which gets you out of your head, such as meditation and deep breathing is good for you.
Get Help
If you can’t fully distract yourself, you’re not alone. You may need some help figuring out these feelings. If you don’t know why you feel a certain way, you can go to Mind Diagnostics to better understand yourself, and your mind.
The holidays aren’t easy for anyone, and with the right self-care, you can come out of it stronger, and take care of your mental health as well.
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