What to Do When You are Depressed During the Holidays

By KCY

The holidays bring cheer and happiness. Malls crowded with families visiting Santa and seeing the Christmas decorations. Christmas concerts, office holiday parties, the smell of pine needles. Families lighting the candles of the menorah. People together. The joy of the holidays.

But that’s not the case for everyone. For some people, the holidays bring feelings of sadness, loneliness, loss. Depression. Depression can worsen during the holiday season. Here are some tips to get through the holidays if you’re one of these people.

1.     Volunteer. Nothing makes you feel better than giving to others and being around others who are giving. When I was a teenager, I used to deliver meals with the Salvation Army every year on Christmas day. Most of the recipients of the meals were people who were alone, people who couldn’t go out, who were low income. The smiles we brought to people when we rang their doorbells to deliver meals and small Christmas trees was the best thing ever. So, find a local organization, a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter to volunteer at during this holiday season.

2.     Go to your office holiday party. Or if you live in a retirement community or are in the hospital, participate in the holiday festivities they have. Participate in that white elephant exchange. Even if it’s an online one on social media. The important thing is to be a part of a community.

3.     Donate. To that warm coat drive. To that toy drive. It doesn’t matter what kind of drive. It only matters that you give. Because giving makes us feel good.

4.     Watch a holiday special. A holiday movie, the lighting of a Christmas tree, an old classic like the animated Frosty the Snowman. Sometimes you need to get lost in a little Hollywood magic to remember the magic of the holidays. See more about why I love holiday movies.

5.     Have dinner with friends and family. Even if they aren’t close friends or family members. Go! Again, it’s the feeling of community which helps to decrease depression.

6.     Remember the holidays of past. Yes, remember the holidays when you were a kid, when you came home from college, when you had little kids if you had kids. And if you never had kids or never got married, remember those holidays that just make you smile. Remember the love. Remember the happiness. And most importantly, remember you were lucky enough to have that and could even have that again.

The holidays can be tough. By no means, do you have to take any of this advice. Perhaps you’re looking at the list and saying, this doesn’t pertain to me at all. And maybe it really doesn’t. Even if it doesn’t, there’s one thing we all need. COMMUNITY. Depression during the holidays can come from loneliness. And loneliness can come from isolation. So, please, know it doesn’t have to be this way. There are communities of people waiting with their arms wide open. Even strangers, like us.