Depression is more common than AIDS, cancer and diabetes combined, and can be very debilitating. Chances are a member of your family, a friend, and a colleague you know suffer from depression. And with the stress of the holidays, depression can be more challenging to manage. Here are 5 ways to cope:
Give yourself a break and say goodbye to tradition. Who says you have to visit your mother on Christmas Day? Who says you have to host Christmas Dinner? Who says you have to stay up all night wrapping presents? You’re an adult, you make the rules. Don’t feel bad about asking for help, doing something different and breaking with tradition, or starting your own new tradition. Go potluck for dinner, or ask your sister to host it. Draw names in your family for a gift exchange so you have fewer gifts to buy and then put them in gift bags with tissue paper (far less work) and reuse the bags next year (also economical and ecological).
Don’t feel the need to say “yes” to every social situation. You may be invited to a work party, a family party, a friend’s party, a neighbor’s party…the list goes on and on. But you don’t have to say “yes” to every invitation, and you don’t have to drink a lot or stay until the bitter end. You can always tell your host when you arrive that you can only stay an hour and then you have to leave to attend a previous engagement – announcing so upfront will eliminate any stress when it comes time to make your departure.
If you see a therapist, schedule an extra session. The holidays is not the time to break with regular meetings with your therapist, and an extra scheduled session could be beneficial in helping you to sort through any feelings that come along with the season, work, family or otherwise.
Watch what you eat and keep exercising. Yes, the eggnog, pumpkin pie and cookies are temping; but eating anything in excess won’t help you to feel better. Go for the veggie platter, or keep Ziploc bags of raw veggies or nuts on hand to snack on, fill you up, and resist temptation. And don’t skip your regular exercise routine. Endorphins help to combat depression. If you find yourself pressed for time, you can incorporate movement into your daily routine by parking your car further away from the mall entrance or walking for 20 minutes before taking your lunch break.
D-Stress with DASHA®. Many of you have wonderful flexible spending health insurance benefits expire at the end of the calendar year, so come to DASHA® and use them to d-stress with a massage or acupuncture treatment!
If you need a therapist in the New York City area, click HERE to search for the right one for you.
DASHA® is a luxury lifestyle brand and New York City-based wellness center created to offer a truly holistic approach to wellness. To learn more, visit dashawellness.com.
