Holiday Blues in
Southwest Florida
Holiday House at the Edison-Ford Estates in Fort Myers attracts thirty thousand of us every year to its fourteen acres of lights and seasonal decorations sparkling throughout the homes and grounds. This annual display represents an ideal as much as a place, evoking feelings and words like tradition, beauty, serenity, peace and love – all wonderful reflections of our humanity. Yet the holiday season can also evoke the equally human feelings of melancholy and sadness, loneliness, emotional exhaustion and anxiety.
Research shows that as many as 25 million people may suffer from a type of seasonal depression, or “holiday blues.” Many people feel “down” during this time of year, and for many reasons. When you think about it, the holidays are demanding - demanding of our time and energy and often of our money. Stress can also arise from the pressures of holiday shopping, both the physical and financial pressures. Stress can come from having unrealistic expectations, from attending family reunions, partying, catering to guests – the list of practical reasons is long.
The sheer overcommercialization of the season can be draining: I visited a popular shopping area in Port Charlotte that was awash in Christmas trees, wreaths and Christmas carols two weeks before Thanksgiving! The volume of “soft sell” and “hard sell” can become emotionally numbing. Remember that you can’t buy what the holidays represent; Christmas should mean more than buying and getting.
During these times we may remember those who are no longer with us, or
perhaps can’t be with us; we may remember earlier, sometimes happier
times. And many find themselves alone during the holidays.
To help us enjoy the holiday season, the National Mental Health Association offers the following advice:
1)Keep
your expectations for the holidays manageable.
2) Keep in mind that you don’t have to be happy all the time.
3) Look to the future; don’t focus on holidays past and try to recreate
them.
4) Volunteer. Doing something for others is fulfilling and releases tension.
5) Refrain from excessive drinking. This will only intensify any problems or
tensions. Alcohol is a depressant and will only exacerbate depression.
6) Experience new holiday celebrations – be creative and make it fun.
7) Spend time with supportive and caring people. Make new friends and
reconnect with the old.
8) Save time – don’t take too much on yourself. Divvy up the jobs, and kill
two birds with one stone: let others share in the fun of holiday
preparations, and this way you don’t have to do everything yourself.
9) Pace yourself and stay structured. Don’t overdo it with shopping and
parties – you don’t have to go to everything. But, do only activities you
know you will enjoy.
10) Talk about fond memories and missed loved ones, and remember only the
good times.
11) Anticipate and avoid situations where you know you will be
uncomfortable, or where you know people there will upset you.
12) If you do feel down and out or hopeless, seek professional help.
Or call the Ruth Cooper Center at
275 – 4242.
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