ANTI-LONELINESS
  • Home
  • About
    • Me
    • Loneliness
    • The Project
    • My Team
    • Testimonials
    • Privacy Policy
  • Services
    • Therapy & Counseling
    • Couples Counseling
    • Online Counseling
    • Supervision
    • Internship
    • Support Groups >
      • Divorce Support Group
      • Grief Support Group
  • Academy
    • Academy for All
    • All Courses
    • From Conflict to Connection
    • How to stop Perfectionism
    • How much of a Perfectionist are you?
    • Burnout Recovery: from exhaustion to resilience
    • How to stop Procrastinating
    • Σεμιναριο για τις σχεσεις
    • Divorce Recovery Programme
    • Grief Recovery Programme
  • Blog
    • Loneliness
    • Self-Development
    • Relationships
    • Family
  • RESOURCES
    • Extra Resources
    • In the Media
    • BOOKS >
      • Books for everyone
      • Books for professionals
    • CARDS
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
    • Me
    • Loneliness
    • The Project
    • My Team
    • Testimonials
    • Privacy Policy
  • Services
    • Therapy & Counseling
    • Couples Counseling
    • Online Counseling
    • Supervision
    • Internship
    • Support Groups >
      • Divorce Support Group
      • Grief Support Group
  • Academy
    • Academy for All
    • All Courses
    • From Conflict to Connection
    • How to stop Perfectionism
    • How much of a Perfectionist are you?
    • Burnout Recovery: from exhaustion to resilience
    • How to stop Procrastinating
    • Σεμιναριο για τις σχεσεις
    • Divorce Recovery Programme
    • Grief Recovery Programme
  • Blog
    • Loneliness
    • Self-Development
    • Relationships
    • Family
  • RESOURCES
    • Extra Resources
    • In the Media
    • BOOKS >
      • Books for everyone
      • Books for professionals
    • CARDS
  • Contact

How To Cope with Christmas Depression and the Holiday Blues

24/2/2023

0 Comments

 

How To Cope with Christmas Depression and the Holiday Blues

christmas-depression
The holiday season is not always a joyful time for everyone, and many individuals struggle with their mental health, grief, loss, or distance from loved ones. The image of a merry Christmas dinner with a loving family is not the reality for everyone, despite what social media and commercials may project. So, how can you cope during this tough time? While you cannot control your circumstances, you can still find ways to make the holidays peaceful and restful. In this article, I will provide tips for finding peace during the holidays, even if they cannot be entirely happy. Ultimately, it is about finding peace with your current situation and being kind to yourself.

5 Tips to Cope with Christmas Depression & Holiday Blues

The holiday season is often portrayed as a time of joy and togetherness, but the reality for many people is quite different. Christmas depression and the holiday blues can be a real struggle for those dealing with difficult emotions, stress, or loneliness during this time of year. Let's explore some ways to cope with these challenges and find peace and comfort during the holiday season.

1. Silence your inner critic

One first suggestion I have is to silence your inner critic. We all have this voice inside our heads that can make us feel bad about our current situation or make us feel like we should be experiencing something else. It may say things like "everyone else is happy but you," "you are going to be alone forever," or "your life will always suck." These messages can be overwhelming and burdensome, especially if you are already struggling with something like a divorce grief or mental health issues. So it is crucial to identify when your inner critic is talking and put it aside. Journaling can be a helpful tool to recognize these thoughts and challenge them. Don't let your inner critic make you feel worse than you already do.

2. Practice acceptance

The second step to cope with the holidays blues is to practice acceptance. Acceptance means recognizing that you cannot change your current situation or feelings, and that it is alright. When we stop fighting against the unchangeable, we save a lot of energy and attention that now we can use for other things; in a nutshell, practicing acceptance allows us to protect our mental health. It also helps us stay realistic. It is unrealistic to expect yourself to feel instantly happy after being quite sad for some time. Accepting our emotions and not resisting them can lead to inner peace and self-acceptance. It allows us to acknowledge all of our feelings, both positive and negative, and it helps us embrace ourselves as a whole. When you can accept yourself fully, you can become your own best friend and treat yourself with kindness and compassion—the same compassion with which you would treat your closest friends.

To give one example, if you are experiencing the pain of a breakup or divorce and you are finding it hard to cope with it, acceptance lets you know that this is completely normal. You are a normal human being who is simply in pain because you have a lost an important person in your life. It is ok to be in pain, it is ok to feel sad. ​

3. Do not compare yourself to others

In addition, I urge you to refrain from comparing yourself to others, as it is unfair and unhelpful. Although everyone goes through painful experiences, it is not fair to compare your present circumstances with someone else's. They may appear to be happy now, but they have undoubtedly experienced pain before or will do so in the future. Comparing yourself to others will only make you feel worse and trigger your inner critic. Therefore, I advise you to take a break from social media. Social media bombards you with images of fake happiness, which can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and depression. Giving yourself space by unplugging from social media allows you to focus on things that make you happy. This will give you the time and energy to do things that you have been wanting to do for a long time. If you unplug from social media, you will have more time to do things that you enjoy, such as pursuing a hobby that you have always been interested in trying, cooking your favorite meal, or taking a mindful walk in nature. Allowing yourself to explore your interests and passions can help to lift your mood and provide a sense of purpose. 

4. Practice gratitude

Another effective way to cope with Christmas depression is to practice gratitude. Even though it may seem difficult to find things to be thankful for when you are feeling down, it is important to acknowledge the good things in your life. One thing you can be grateful for is the environment you are in during the holiday season, even if it does not feel perfect. By practicing gratitude and giving yourself space, you can make it through the holiday season feeling more content and at peace.

One helpful practice is to make a gratitude list. Write down the things in your life that you are thankful for, even the small things. Practicing gratitude can help shift your focus from negative thoughts to positive ones, and it can remind you of the good things in your life. It is also helpful to set realistic expectations for yourself during the holiday season. Do not put too much pressure on yourself to have the "perfect" holiday experience. Instead, focus on what is truly important to you and prioritize those things.

5. Listen to your own needs

Finally, it is important to prioritize your own well-being during the holiday season. If you had plans to attend events or gatherings, but you are not feeling up to it, it is important to allow yourself the space to change your mind. Do not feel obligated to follow through with plans if they no longer feel right for you. It is okay to say no and take care of yourself.

Listen to your own needs and honor them. If you need some alone time, take it. If you need to be surrounded by loved ones, seek them out. If you need to change plans or make new ones, allow yourself that flexibility. Remember, you are in charge of your own life and mental health.

Final Message

I hope that the ideas I have presented have been helpful in managing Christmas depression. However, if you feel like doing something different, please listen to your own needs first and foremost. Perhaps you feel like going out more, meeting new people or rekindling old relationships in your neighborhood. Alternatively, maybe you feel like staying in more, doing things for others, or taking care of yourself first. Remember, nobody is judging you, and there is no such thing as perfection. It is you who matters, and you know best what you need.
If you are a member of the Academy, I encourage you to have a look at the courses that can help you feel better during these days. For example, there is a course on how to silence your inner critic or how to practice more self-compassion. These courses may sound fluffy, but they can provide you with the feeling of a warm, cozy blanket during these days.

Remember to take really good care of yourself, as you are the most important thing in your life. If you have any questions or need support, I am here to give you as much guidance and tips as possible, so that you can learn how to love yourself first and foremost. Happy holidays and take care.

What's Next

  • Join AntiLoneliness Academy, and find the tools to better face your current challenges.
  • If perfectionism is getting in the way of having a fulfilling life, get the FREE guide "How Much of a Perfectionist Are You?" and find out which perfectionist tendencies you struggle with.
  • Sign up for my newsletter here and get the FREE 40-page guide/workbook on Self-Care filled with practical tips that can make your life more peaceful and balanced.  
  • For Book recommendations:
    • The Body Keeps The Score​
    • The Lonely City
    • Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers
    • When Things Fall Apart
  • Watch our videos with Psychology tips and insights on Burnout, Relationships, Perfectionism, Anxiety, etc. ​
  • Don't let the holiday blues pull you down, contact me and start your own therapy journey.
  • Join our Facebook page and Instagram page and read more posts about self-development.
Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Self-Development

    TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE.


    Know Yourself. 
    YOU are responsible for how you feel. The others behave in the way they want, but they have nothing to do with the way you perceive their behavior and consequently how you feel. 
    It's merely your decision. 

    Categories

    All
    Acceptance
    Achievement
    Addiction
    Alone
    Anger
    Angry
    Antiloneliness
    Anxiety
    Apps
    Attachment
    Autism
    Avoidance
    Balance
    Belonging
    Blocking-feelings
    Blocking-feelings
    Body
    Books
    Boundaries
    Brain
    Broken Heart
    Burnout
    Busy Women
    Calm
    Cbt
    Change
    Childhood
    Christmas
    Colouring-book
    Comfort-zone
    Comfort-zone
    Comparisons
    Compassion
    Compassionate
    Confusion
    Connection
    Control
    Cope
    Coping-mechanism
    Coping Mechanisms
    Copping Strategies
    Coronavirus
    Counseling
    Critic
    Criticism
    Cycle Of Negative Thinking
    Cycle Of Negativity
    Decision
    Decision-making
    Decision-making
    Delaying
    Denial
    Depressed
    Depression
    Disappointment
    Discomfort
    Discomfrot
    Eating Disorders
    Emotional Awareness
    Emotional Eating
    Emotional Intelligence
    Emotional Needs
    Emotional Support Animal
    Emotional Triggers
    Emotions
    Empath
    Empathy
    Escape Negative Thinking
    Expat Life
    Express Anger
    Failure
    Family
    Fear
    Fear Of Failure
    Fear-of-failure
    Fears
    Feelings
    Focus
    Food
    Forest Therapy
    Freedom
    Gerascophobia
    Giving Up
    Goal
    Good Enough
    Grateful
    Grief
    Guilt
    Gutbrain-connection
    Gut-feeling
    Happiness
    Help
    Highly Sensitive Person
    High Standards
    Holidays
    Hope
    Hopelessness
    How-to-make-the-right-decision
    Hsp
    Imperfection
    Imposter Syndrome
    Inner Critic
    Inner-critic
    Inner Peace
    Intuition
    Joy
    Judging
    Kindness
    Laziness
    Learned Helplessness
    Learning
    Life
    Loneliness
    Love
    Make The Perect Decision
    Meaning
    Meditation
    Mental Health
    Migraine
    Mindfullness
    Mindfulness
    Mistakes
    Motivation
    Narcissism
    Nature
    Negative Spiral
    Negative Thinking
    Negative Thinking Pattern
    Negative Thoughts
    New Year Resolution
    Not Alone
    Other People's Opinion
    Pain
    Pandemic
    Panic Attacks
    Parenting
    Parents
    Partner
    Perfectionism
    Perfectionist
    Physical Symptoms
    Postponing
    Present
    Procrastination
    Psychologist
    Psychology
    Psychosomatics
    Psychosomatic-symptoms
    PTSD
    Relationships
    Relief
    Rest
    Ruminating
    Sadness
    Safety
    Scared
    Schemas
    Self Awareness
    Self Care
    Self Compassion
    Self-compassion
    Self Confidence
    Self-doubt
    Self Esteem
    Self-esteem
    Self Improvement
    Self-improvement
    Self Kindness
    Self-kindness
    Self Love
    Self-love
    Self Sabotage
    Sensitive
    Service Dog
    Shame
    Shock
    Signs
    Sleep
    Smartphones
    Social Media
    Stress
    Struggle
    Struggling
    Suffer
    Suffering
    Support
    Suppressed Anger
    Suppression
    Technology
    Therapy
    Therapy Dog
    The Right Decision
    Thinking
    Threat
    Time-management
    Tips
    Toxic Shame
    Trauma
    Trauma Response
    Trigger
    Trust
    Uncertainty
    Values
    Vassia-sarantopoulou
    Vassia-sarantopoulou
    What-to-do
    Women
    Work
    Workaholism
    Work Life Balance
    Workload
    Workplace
    Workplan
    Workshop
    Worrying

    RSS Feed

Counseling

Personal Counseling
Couples Counseling
OnLine Counseling 
​
GROUP COUNSELING 

​Grief Support
Divorce Support 
​Therapy Group 

Blog

Loneliness
​Self-Development
Relationships
​Family 

About

Me
​My Team
Contact 
​The Cards
Privacy Policy ​
NIP Psycholoog
Vassia Sarantopoulou
Head Psychologist - Founder of AntiLoneliness

​Therapy for expats and locals 
Leiden - The Hague - online 
​

Member of the Netherlands Institute of Psychologists (NIP)

© COPYRIGHT 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.