The winter holidays are here again and people are looking forward to parties, visits with relatives and friends, and participating in all the joys of the season.

Yet, while most people will say that the Christmas, Hanukkah, and Thanksgiving holidays are their favorite time of year, they can also be a time of increased stress and depression.

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Beneath the fun-filled activities is a layer of demands that can ramp up the stress factor: finding and buying the perfect present, mailing it, addressing greeting cards, trying to throw the most glittering of parties or cook the tastiest dinner can all contribute to winter holidays depression.

The symptoms of holiday stress come in many forms and each one can can put a damper on the joy of the season:

• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Excessive eating or drinking
• Fatigue
• Irritability or anger

So, what can you do to get some relief?

These five holiday stress busters can help you enjoy a peaceful holiday season:

1. Don’t take on too much – learn to say “no” so you don’t overcommit yourself and ask others to help out as much as possible. Fatigue will zap your energy and can contribute to anxiety and feelings of helplessness.
2. Set a budget and stick to it – decide how much money you can afford and stay within your budget. We often try to get our loved ones the best and newest of gifts, but the holidays are really about spending time with them, not about trying to win their love with presents. Remember that those bills will all show up after the excitement of the day is past and trying to pay for something you can’t afford can increase stress and New Year depression.
3. Try to put aside differences and accept relatives and friends as they are – we all have people in our lives who can be hard to deal with and holiday stress can increase this discomfort when we are forced to interact with the people who push our buttons. Try to be forgiving if others get upset or act out and consider removing yourself from a troubling situation instead of fighting with someone. Try going for a walk, listening to soothing music, or watching a movie instead.
4. Watch out for the post-holiday blues – going back to your daily routine after all the excitement of the season can be deflating and depressing. Planning a restful day or trying a new activity toward the end of the season can help ease your transition back into your normal schedule.
5. Some people suffer winter depression from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD can be a result of the gloomy weather and decreased hours of sunlight during the shorter days in the winter months. Relief can be found through phototherapy treatment which involves using a full spectrum lamp for twenty minutes a day to provide increased light exposure.

Winter holidays depression indicators can include feeling hopeless, having difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite, loss of energy, and thoughts of suicide.

Keep in mind: if you are experiencing these symptoms and are truly looking at the holidays as being unbearable, it is best to seek help from a mental health professional.

For more information and relief for your winter holidays depression, contact Dr. David A. Gross in Delray Beach, Florida at 561-496-1281 or email Dr. Gross today.