{"id":35344,"date":"2015-12-13T09:00:30","date_gmt":"2015-12-13T14:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=35344"},"modified":"2021-05-13T05:56:07","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T09:56:07","slug":"surviving-the-holiday-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/surviving-the-holiday-blues\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Guide to Surviving the Holiday Blues"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Holiday
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Samantha Gattsek\u2019s family has never made a big deal out of holiday celebrations. But this year, she feels especially disconnected from the seasonal cheer<\/a> surrounding her. \u201cThe holidays can feel like a lonely time of year, and it\u2019s hard to hear about everyone else\u2019s fun plans,\u201d the 29-year-old New York City resident says. \u201cI don\u2019t have that warm and fuzzy feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gattsek can\u2019t afford the $700 plane ticket to visit her boyfriend in Atlanta. Plus, she has to work on Christmas Eve. With nothing much to look forward to, she\u2019s suffered from low energy<\/a> since Thanksgiving and has a bad case of the holiday blues.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 10 Reasons You\u2019re Exhausted and What to Do About It<\/a><\/p>\n

Why It’s Easy to Hate the Holidays<\/h3>\n

The holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of the year, yet for many, they trigger deep feelings of sadness and anxiety<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s so much emphasis on family and celebration, but it\u2019s hard if you\u2019re dealing with difficult memories or reminders that you\u2019re not close to your family,\u201d says Sharon Melnick, PhD, stress resilience expert and author of Success Under Stress: Powerful Tools for Staying Calm, Confident and Productive When the Pressure\u2019s On<\/em><\/a>. \u201cIt can feel like there\u2019s a big gap between what other people are experiencing and what you\u2019re experiencing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHibernation and isolation can feed a depressed mood. Surround yourself with friends.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Add the financial pressure of gift-giving<\/a>, cold weather and lack of sunlight, and those are prime conditions for a world-class funk. But unlike seasonal affective disorder<\/a> (SAD), which is estimated to affect 10 to 20 percent of Americans, it\u2019s unknown how many people suffer from the holiday blahs.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 5 Light Boxes to Fight Seasonal Affective Disorder<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important not to classify all winter doldrums as SAD<\/a>,\u201d explains Sarah Eckfeldt<\/a>, LCSW, a psychotherapist in private practice in New York City. \u201cMany people experience a drop in mood in anticipation of the holidays because they might be sad over a recent breakup or spending the first holiday after the death of a loved one and could benefit from talking to a therapist<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The good news: Seasonal doldrums tend to fade once the festivities are over (and if they don\u2019t, consider seeking professional help). In the meantime, here are some tips to help you improve your mood over the next two weeks.<\/p>\n

RELATED: The 10 Happiest Places on the Internet<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Beat the Holiday Blues<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Seek Social Support
\n<\/strong>Meghan Day was seized with sadness earlier this month after decorating her Christmas tree alone. The activity was intended to make her feel better about creating her own holiday traditions; she had separated from her husband a year earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt all feels really strange and new. It\u2019s hard not to get in a down place about being alone this time of year,\u201d she says. Since the start of the holiday season, she\u2019s struggled to get out of bed<\/a> in the morning and hasn\u2019t felt like going out after work.<\/p>\n

When the blues strike, who wouldn\u2019t rather hide out at home in yoga pants? Make yourself go out anyway, Eckfeldt advises. \u201cHibernation and isolation can feed a depressed mood,\u201d she says. \u201cSurround yourself with friends, even if you don\u2019t feel like it. Not only are you distracting yourself from your possibly blue thoughts, but being out with others provides you with opportunities for pleasure and joy<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeling wary about making small talk? You can skip those parties, she says. Instead, make plans with small groups of friends. Just having a few events on her calendar to look forward to has helped Day feel more connected to those around her. \u201cIt\u2019s been good to share how I’m feeling with someone other than my therapist,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s also taken the opportunity to explore new things to do that don\u2019t involve pricey dinners or drinks. \u201cStaying out late drinking is exhausting, and not good for my health. It tends to bring me down more than make me feel better,\u201d she says. On her calendar this month: A Broadway play and a Knicks game.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Is Alcohol Killing Your Workout?<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Get to the Gym
\n<\/strong>When Gattsek\u2019s holiday blues set in, she found herself skipping workouts with her running group<\/a>. But foregoing fitness only deprives you of the exercised-induced endorphins that might help boost your mood. The challenge is getting yourself there when you least feel like it.<\/p>\n

“You can\u2019t compare yourself to others\u2019 highlight reels of their lives.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cResist any excuse not to go,\u201d says Eckfeldt. \u201cOr make a bargain with yourself that you only have to exercise for 10 minutes. Your heart rate will start to rise, and most likely you\u2019ll stick it out longer because you\u2019re already there.\u201d Better yet, plan a workout with a friend so you\u2019re less likely to flake out. Day gravitates to group fitness classes with high-energy music<\/a> to keep her spirits up. And on days when Gattsek doesn\u2019t want to run, she\u2019s been opting for spinning class at her gym or trying out new yoga studios<\/a> in her neighborhood.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Your 12 Move Total-Body Workout: The Daily Burn Dozen<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t Look at Facebook
\n<\/strong>Even though you know <\/em>that most people only post their happiest moments on social media, it\u2019s easy to lose perspective and get a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out). \u201cYou can\u2019t compare yourself to others\u2019 highlight reels of their lives,\u201d says Melnick, who advocates that less Instagram is more when you\u2019re in the dumps. Gattsek believes limiting her consumption of Facebook is helpful during the holidays. \u201cThe second I read something that makes me feel jealous, I shut it off,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Reach out to your close friends via phone or text message when you feel like connecting with people. You’ll get more satisfaction hearing updates from people you actually like, rather than tons of people you haven’t seen in years.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Are Sweaty Selfies Actually Good for You?<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Reframe Your Thinking
\n<\/strong>If you feel isolated, it\u2019s important to remember you\u2019re still in charge of your life. \u201cThe way to bring more abundance into your life is to give first<\/a>,\u201d urges Melnick. \u201cFind opportunities to volunteer. Meet people. Attend events.\u201d Instead of feeling left out of others\u2019 holiday plans, Gattsek says she\u2019s started thinking of the break as free time to do whatever she wants \u2014 even if that means spending the day in bed with her cats and Netflix.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m also trying to recognize that it\u2019s a challenging time and that it\u2019s OK to feel overwhelmed and sad,\u201d says Day.<\/p>\n

Finally, it helps tell yourself that the holidays are just a season that will soon pass. In the meantime, Gattsek tells herself she just has to make it to New Year\u2019s Eve. \u201cMy holiday blues usually last until the stroke of midnight,\u201d she says. \u201cThen I become optimistic about the coming year.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you struggle with serious and continuous depressive symptoms, be sure to reach out to a healthcare provider to discuss your condition. For additional information on depression, head to the <\/em>National Institute of Mental Health<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Original posted December 2014. Updated December 2015.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not in the mood for Christmas parties, Hanukkah gifts or general seasonal cheer? Here’s how to survive a bad case of the holiday blues. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":35351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12,15],"tags":[159,189,253,282,341,360,186],"class_list":["post-35344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","category-stress","tag-anxiety","tag-holiday","tag-relationships","tag-stress","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2stress-management","tag-winter"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35344\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}