While some individuals look forward to the festive lights and sugary treats of the upcoming holiday season, the most “wonderful” time of the year can also bring depression, stress, and melancholy, leaving it to be less than desired by many. College students, in particular, may feel weighed down by unusual emotions of loneliness, absence, and financial struggle. The most important thing to remember during any winter bout of sadness is that no one is alone and there are dozens of resources and methods to ease the pain of the holiday blues.
1. Limit Your Alcohol
While drowning your sorrows in a cranberry cocktail or a spiked eggnog may seem like the best way to overcome holiday sadness, alcohol can actually worsen feelings of anxiety and depression, both of which are common seasonal culprits. This doesn’t mean you have to abstain from all festive buzzworthy beverages, but be mindful of your limits, habits, and drinking by yourself. For individuals already facing alcohol struggles, consider discussing your preferences with those around you and place yourself in situations where your abstinence from alcohol can be successful.
2. Budget your resources
Whether you’re stressed about time, money, or supplies, remember that the season of giving does not include your sanity. It’s important to set both physical, personal, and monetary boundaries with yourself and those that surround you. For those that dread the bustle, stress, and greediness of the holiday season, these limits will help you manage your schedule and emotions as the end of the year approaches. Consider alternating holidays instead splitting them between family members and significant others, ensuring you can enjoy the lights and food without traveling all over the city. Stand up to overbearing parents or persistent friends about your decisions for the holiday and choose a plan that is feasible for your physical and mental health. Set gift limits with romantic partners or aim to give something from the heart to avoid financial expectations and stress.
3. Prioritize your diet/Exercise
In the chaotic winter whirlwind of pumpkin pie and sugar cookies, it can be so easy to overindulge on holiday treats, impacting your health, attitude, and comfort. While it’s highly unrealistic to avoid sugar, salt, and all things good during this time of year, moderation and proportions can be the key to avoiding pounding headaches and grumbling stomachs. While holiday plans tend to fill the calendar, be sure to make time for your usual yoga class, evening walk, or trip to the gym, which will likely boost your emotions, revitalize your energy, and balance your food intake. You don’t have to be diet crazy or a gym junkie to survive this holiday season with your waistline and health as the holiday blues can easily be reduced with light exercise and moderation.
4. Community Events
For those with long distance family members, students abroad, or those celebrating the season on their own, the holiday blues can often seem like strong and unmoving force that should be feared. However, many campuses and their surrounding communities offer fun city-wide celebrations during the festive months. In Youngstown, December’s calendar already boast an annual parade, tree lighting, visits from Santa Claus, holiday karaoke, and charitable collections. The suburbs surrounding campus offer fantastic light shows featuring synchronized music and solar charged electricity. Consider giving back to the area through service work with the Salvation Army or volunteering at the local homeless shelter by severing meals. All of these activities can help improve your mood and harness any lonely energy into positive change.
5. Talk with someone
For all students, the holiday season can be a stark reminder of how much life has changed. Whether you’re reminiscing the holidays with a former partner or remembering the simpleness of your festive childhood, it’s important to remember that this season is the time for joy, celebration, and love. Take the time to talk with a friend, stranger, or family member if you feel the holiday blues have become unbearable. Consider utilizing the free counseling services on campus or check with your own therapist about scheduling an appointment now for the upcoming festive season in preparation. Mental health, particularly during the festive months, is often put aside, but there are affordable and accessible resources at the touch of your fingers, even in the midst of the holiday blues.