It’s coming! You’ve already seen the displays in the stores: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Years Eve, and I’m sure there are more. It’s The Holiday Season, a time when stress levels are on the rise for some of us. In fact, In a research study by Healthline, “Sixty-two percent of respondents described their stress level as “very or somewhat” elevated during the holidays, while only 10 percent reported no stress during the season. (Garstkiewicz, 2023) So, the question before us is, how do we cope and remain ENOUGH during what can be trying times? It’s important to maintain our own mental health while also maintaining all the things that go along with holidays. Some techniques to try include: 1.Give yourself a healing space. 2.Allow yourself to reach out for help. 3.Let your needs be known. 4.Express gratitude. 5.Volunteer or give kindness. 6.Give yourself love and kindness too. You are worthy of receiving the gifts of self-love, confidence, self-validation, and mental wellness. You are worthy of gifting yourself a break and pouring into yourself for a change. Being who you are is a gift. Taking care of yourself and loving yourself is a gift. (Watts, 2022) It's also important to give yourself a break during any stressful time in your life. The holidays are so filled with “doing for others” we often forget to “do for ourselves.” Taking a break will help you to recharge physically, mentally, and emotionally after a long period of working or even playing hard. One method of taking a break is to give yourself permission to be unavailable. Yes, that’s right. You can say “No.” It’s ok to NOT do everything for everyone. This is true for any situation, including moving, changing jobs, getting married, having children, and the holidays. When we are always there for others, they start to expect that, and they will continue to ask because they know we won’t say NO. Then we become even more stressed because we have even more to do. Be unavailable sometimes. You can be ENOUGH without being ALL. References
Garstkiewicz, C. (2023, July 27). Self-Love During the Holidays. Retrieved from Clarity Clinic: https://www.claritychi.com/self-love-during-the-holidays/ Watts, I. (2022, December 19). Give Yourself the GIft of Self Love this Holiday. Retrieved from Beautifully Simply You: https://beautifullysimplyyou.com/2022/12/19/give-yourself-the-gift-of-self-love-this-holiday/
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The title of this post may, on the surface, look like it is grammatically incorrect, but we’re using SAD as an acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a form of depression that occurs seasonally. Some experience a deeper depression when the days get shorter. This disorder lightens as the days get longer in the Spring, thus the moniker Seasonal. The depression can affect your mood, sleep, appetite, and energy levels, taking a toll on all aspects of your life from your relationships and social life to work, school, and your sense of self-worth. (Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal, n.d.) While shorter days and cooler temperatures may make one occasionally feel a bit blue or down in the dumps, it is nothing to worry about unless the symptoms crop up every fall/winter or become severely affective. In that case, it may be SAD. Signs of SAD are similar to those of deep depression, the only difference being the onset of seasonal changes like fall to winter and sometimes even spring to summer. Summer SAD can be less severe, but still real to the person experiencing it. If you find that your depression deepens in the winter but by spring you are feeling fine, you may be suffering from SAD. Here are some of the symptoms to look out for:
If you are experiencing SAD symptoms at the change in seasons, it’s time for some self-care. Self-care is a practice rooted in self-kindness and compassion, dedicated to enhancing emotional, mental, and physical well-being. (Dye, 2023) There are ways to combat the feelings of low self-esteem and depression experienced during the change of seasons. Think about the last time you had a spa day or went for a mani-pedi? Did you experience a lift in your mood, even if temporary? That is self-care, something that can keep your spirits out of the doldrums during these times. Here is a list of ten ways you can practice some self-care without going to the spa: 1. Don’t compare yourself to others While the seasons are changing, days are getting shorter, cooler temperatures are on the horizon, this is not a time for your mood to change, or for depression to be setting in. Remember, you are enough, whether it is Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter! Take care of your self as the environment around changes, watch out for some of the symptoms and do something to waylay those symptoms. References
Dye, J. (2023, October 4). Enjoying, Not Just Enduring, a Change in Seasons. Retrieved from Meridian Magazine: https://latterdaysaintmag.com/enjoying-not-just-enduring-a-change-in-seasons/ Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal, P. (n.d.). What is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)? . Retrieved from HelpGuide.org: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad.htm#: Woodfill, T. (2018, November 2). Some Positive Self-Esteem Tips. Retrieved from Defeat Suicide Foundation: https://www.defeatsuicide.com/post/some-positive-self-esteem-tips |
AuthorI am a Performance Enhancement Specialist with a background in Emergency Psychiatric Medicine and Community Addiction. Archives
December 2023
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