Fishing on the Net

By Bonnie Nelson

Holiday Blues

Times are tough, and it seems that the holiday seasons are always the toughest.  For many people the holiday season is a fun time filled with parties, celebrations, and social gatherings with family and friends. But for many people, it is a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness, and anxiety.

What are the holiday blues?  Sadness is a truly personal feeling. What makes one person feel sad may not affect another person. Typical sources of holiday sadness include stress, fatigue, unrealistic expectations, over commercialization, and the inability to be with one’s family and friends.
Balancing the demands of shopping, parties, family obligations, and house guests may contribute to feelings of being overwhelmed and increased tension. People who do not view themselves as depressed may develop stress responses, such as insomnia, headaches, overeating, and drinking.  Others may experience post-holiday sadness after New Year’s/January 1st. This can result from built-up expectations and disappointments from the previous year, coupled with stress and fatigue (http://www.medicinenet.com/holiday_depression_and_stress/article.htm).

Stress is a response to what is happening around you. It is the process the body uses to keep balance and sustain life when various demands are made on you.  Here are a few suggestions to help you.

* It’s important to maintain healthy eating habits. Minimize those wonderful holiday goodies.  These tax your endocrine system and may cause your emotions to become worse.
* Maintain healthy sleep habits.
* Remember that the holidays are not a happy time for everyone.
* Before you react, take a deep breath and then count back from ten to one. This is a simple technique for managing emotional stressors, like arguments, and may keep you from a useless disagreement.
*Watch your consumption of alcohol at holiday functions.--don’t use the holidays as an excuse to become inebriated.
* Resist the temptation to use credit cards excessively. Establish a budget to plan your expenditures and finances.
* Don’t try to be Super Man or Wonder Woman. You are only one person--it’s ok to say “no” to friends, family, and work associates if their requests interfere with your exercise, eating, sleeping, financial status, and peace of mind.
* If you find yourself being “under the weather,” pamper yourself, take time off, and take extra vitamins (http://www.ezinearticles.com/).
The holidays are meant to be enjoyable.  Do what it takes to make them enjoyable for you.

Bonnie Nelson is a freelance writer living in Fountain, CO.  If you have any comments or questions, email her at waltbon@comcast.net.

CONTACT THE WRITER • WALTBON@COMCAST.nET

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