The holidays are supposed to be a time to rejoice and partake in holiday cheer. A time to connect with family and friends, exchange gifts, and enjoy delicious food. Despite that, experiencing sadness, loneliness, anxiety, and/or depression during this time is not unheard of.

In fact, many people struggle with these feelings during the holidays. And it’s no wonder that’s the case, because it's not easy finding the perfect gift, traveling, or navigating the many events on your social calendar.

Luckily, there’s still hope and you still have time to make the holidays less stressful and overwhelming. All you need to do is slightly tweak your habits and create a coping plan so you can keep the holiday blues and stress at bay.

What Lifestyle Changes Can Reduce Holiday Stress and Depression?

Having an arsenal of healthy coping strategies can help you prepare for and get through the festive month ahead. Try including some of these lifestyle changes in your everyday self-care routine:

• Catch some rays: Decreased sunlight exposure can throw off your circadian rhythm, prompting your brain to produce too much sleep-inducing melatonin and less happy-inducing serotonin. So, try to get regular sunlight exposure – whether that means taking your daily walk in the sun or using a lamp that mimics sunlight for thirty minutes during the day.

• Absorb natural light: Increase the amount of natural light in your home and workplace (if possible) by opening blinds and drapes and sitting near windows.

• Avoid alcohol consumption: Alcohol is a depressant, and drinking too much can exacerbate any negative feelings that you might already have. Try to avoid drinking, especially if you're feeling down, or, at the very least, limit yourself to one or two drinks.

• Move your body: Many studies have shown that regular physical activity can play an essential role in preventing and reducing symptoms of depression. Even a light workout can be enough to help keep those holiday blues at bay.

• Journal: Write down exactly what's bothering you in a simple sentence and think of ways to improve the problem. Journaling a list of things you can do to improve a situation can help ease uncomfortable feelings and give you a sense of control. Let’s say that, currently, you're battling loneliness during the holidays. If you journal about it, you may come up with some creative steps for tackling this feeling, like inviting a friend for lunch at a restaurant you’ve never tried before or joining a local exercise group or book club.

• Use CBT techniques: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) suggests that negative and distressing emotions are caused by certain thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. In order for these thoughts and emotions to be reduced, they need to be examined and modified.

So if you find yourself having negative thoughts about the holidays, whether it is stressing about money, time, or family issues, CBT suggests that you should first gain awareness of these thoughts. And, once you recognize them, you can use techniques that help reframe the way you approach and deal with these thoughts.

Ways to Cope With Food Anxiety During the Holidays

Holiday meals, like the holidays themselves, are supposed to be fun and enjoyable, but when you struggle with anxiety over enjoying seasonal favorites, a holiday meal can actually feel like a struggle.

Here's how you can cope with food anxiety and make the holiday season more enjoyable:

• Be aware of your anxiety around food and challenge all-or-nothing thinking. For example, getting an extra serving of your favorite meal doesn't mean that you should classify your eating behavior as "bad."

  • Freely taking part in holiday meals is a way to connect with others during the festive season, and eating more on these occasions won't adversely affect your health.

• Rely on people you trust for support: Pick one person at the holiday gathering that you trust the most and to whom you could say, "I'd appreciate it if you would distract me if you notice I'm looking scared or upset."

• Prepare a canned response: Family and friends might make comments about your appearance or eating habits, and that's why it's good to have a canned response ready.

For example, you can redirect the conversation by changing the topic and discussing something other than food. For instance, if a friend declares that they’ll have to diet for weeks after all the food they just ate, you could smile and ask how their new job is going.

Or if you're asked outright about your appearance or eating habits, you could say something along the lines of, "Let's discuss more interesting things, like where you bought that beautiful sweater."

Is It the Holiday Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unable to function in your everyday life during the holidays, you should consider consulting a mental health professional to determine if your holiday blues are actually signs of seasonal depressive disorder (SAD).

SAD is a form of depressive disorder that occurs in seasonal patterns (typically during winter) and its symptoms mimic nonseasonal depression. They usually include loss of motivation for work or other activities, reduced social contact, anxiety, difficulty waking up on schedule, daytime fatigue, cravings for carbohydrates, and weight gain.

Holiday depression and SAD can be difficult to distinguish from one another, but the duration and severity of the symptoms are usually the best clues. For example, while the holiday blues usually start around November or December and end shortly after the New Year, SAD typically begins in the late fall and early winter and subsides during the spring and summer.

To be clinically diagnosed with SAD, you need to have experienced the symptoms for two or more consecutive years. But regardless of the timing or persistence of your symptoms, if the symptoms feel overwhelming, it might be time to seek help from a licensed mental health professional.

And even if holiday stress and depression are not adversely affecting your everyday life, consider making small changes in your habits to alleviate those holiday blues. With just a few lifestyle tweaks, this holiday season might become merrier as a result! Happy (and hopefully blues-free) Holidays!

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