Holiday Blues? Kick the Crap Out of Them!

I know, I know, the Christmas holidays are still a couple of months away. So what better time than NOW to get a jumpstart on dealing with the holiday blues - especially if the holiday season seems more like unorganized chaos to you than it does a time of merriment and gift-giving. What can I tell you, not everyone enjoys the what is now very-commercialized-aspect of parties and Christmas trees.

This won't be the first article you read on dealing with the holiday blues nor will it be the last. But why all the depression in the first place? There are many factors that influence holiday depression including age, location and environment. But one of the big influences on how we feel may just be physical. According to journeyofhearts.org, everyone's body runs a little slower in the winter. We tend to want to sleep more, eat more, and our reflexes are bit slower. In general our reaction to our environment is bit more exaggerated. Healthguidance.org points out that In the U.S., the winter holidays coincide precisely with the least amount of daylight throughout the year. So the holidays occur at a time when our bodies are most likely to want to crawl into a cave and go to sleep. Unfortunately, very few of us can afford to imitate Yogi Bear, still we can deal with the anticipated stress now if you take some time to plan a head, set some goals for yourself and deal with the holidays directly.

First things first though, if the holidays are kind of a low point in your life don't feel singled out. According to allina.com, anticipation is your best defense. Start by analyzing the tension a little bit. Let's say your mother-in-law makes you tense. Usaweekend.com suggests that you try to articulate to yourself what it is she does that you feel unhappy about or uncomfortable with. And think about what you do that may allow depression to occur in the first place. Is there some way you can take control of this situation and minimize the amount of toxicity that's going to arise out of it this year?

Alegent.com points out that the first thing to remember is that you can "just say no" to holiday events. If you have three parties to go to in a night, but it's going to completely stress you out to go to all three, then maybe you should say no to one or even two of them. The little bit of anxiety you feel in the five- to ten-minutes it takes to make that decision could save you from a four-hour anxiety-filled evening. Being kind of brutal about exercising control over your own time is worthwhile during the holidays.

Getting back to what I mentioned earlier, on a sheer physical level, momscape.com relates that you should get as much light -- both natural and artificial -as you can. Take advantage of the daylight hours with a walk. The light on your retina will get that signal sent to the photosensitive parts of the brain which will in turn make you feel better. If nothing else, exercise and a visit to the tanning salon may be one of the bet long-term holiday fixer-uppers you can treat yourself to.

Keep your sleep habits regular, and don't sleep too much. That hibernation tendency is self-perpetuating. Keep your sleep hours down to eight to nine hours a day; no more than that.

So this holiday season -- beat the blues at their own game. Stay active, plan ahead and don't get caught up with the little things. Maybe you don't feel like saying "Ho-Ho-Ho" but at least you won't be mumbling "No-No-No".