The Christmas period is not always a source of joy and happiness for everyone. Indeed, a portion of the population suffers from what scholars have called Christmas Blues. We are talking about that melancholy and somewhat depressed mood that plagues many people at Christmas.
The reasons behind the Christmas depression can be different: there are those who have to face a bereavement for example, family quarrels, relatives who do not want to see each other, others do not know exactly what the reason is but still suffer this condition.
Symptoms of Christmas Depressionthey can concern both the mental and physical aspects. As we now know, in fact, psychological health affects most of the times also on our body. We can group the most common symptoms of this depressive state as follows:
- One feels unmotivated, low in tone and therefore not inclined to participate in social gatherings.
- Anxiety and insomnia due to negative thoughts.
- Irritability, even with apparently unreasonable crying fits.
How to deal with depression under the Christmas period
- Minimize expectations
Creating expectations that are then not realized creates peaks of joy that immediately turn into peaks of depression. A party that has gone wrong, an unwanted gift or quarrels between relatives during dinners, are a guaranteed ticket to go from an idealized period to the naked reality. Trying to lower expectations could lead to a pleasant rediscovery of this time of year.
- Choose an appointment not to go to
For many, depression comes from anxiety and a feeling of annoyance thinking of having to attend every party of relatives and friends, including those who just don’t, don’t go down! For Christmas then give yourself this gift: choose an appointment to say no to. To be forgiven you can always send a greeting card with a lot of thought. In front of a nice gift, no one will be angry if for that Christmas you were not able to pass for panettone and sparkling wine. For all other events… hold on!
- Turn envy into a motivational boost
Christmas is often the time to sum up what has been done or achieved during the year. But not only that, it is done by confronting the relative on duty. In these moments of confrontation, envy can easily arise and arrive at the end of the evening feeling inferior or worse bankruptcy. An effective way to avoid these moods and turn them into a boost of productivity. For example, dwelling on the things that have sparked envy and trying to draw up a list of the next goals to be achieved. Without anxiety of course!
- Don’t take your depression out on food
Hearty foods, heavily seasoned or fried, alcoholic, aperitifs and dinners with many courses negatively affect mood. In fact, too much fat has negative consequences on the sleep-wake rhythm, with further effects on the general mood. Even during the holidays try to follow a balanced diet, low in fat, alcoholic drinks and red meats.
The advice therefore lies above all in the approach and in small psychological tricks to make the Christmas days lighter. A great help can also come from herbs and natural remedies that help fight bad mood and depression. One of the most famous natural remedies is St. John’s Wort: an ancient natural remedy to promote the well-being of the mind, promote relaxation and counteract depressive states.
