Long, cold, and snowy winter evenings fall into the list of the most unpleasant things, and only the laughter and warmth of family and friends gathered together can improve the situation at least a little. Well, this was the case for the last year and many years before – the reality now is far different. This year, the world will be visited not only by Santa Claus but also by the extremely contagious virus, which has forced millions of people to spend the happiest celebrations at home and alone. What to do so that the house does not turn into a kingdom of sorrow during Christmas? We at Biomedicanna decided to share some tips that will save you from holiday depression and the meanest of them all – the Grinch!
What is Holiday Depression?
During Christmas, everything seems to be elevated: even the smallest, least important things and details are getting decorated, and every corner both in the city and at home must shine brightly. Emphasizing festivities make people forget how much time and effort it takes to prepare for Christmas and New Year, and here we are not talking about physical preparation. As the mentioned celebrations are always associated with joy and love, holiday depression quickly robs both of these emotions out of every living spirit and leaves no place for mental health. The widespread depiction of Christmas forces us to set too many and too high expectations for ourselves, which often fail even before we manage to blink.
In 2020, the situation got even worse due to the Coronavirus pandemic crushing people’s hopes and dreams; therefore, it should come as no surprise that the already high level of holiday depression in the world is even higher. Besides, as people usually spend this Festive season meeting friends and families, get-togethers cannot do without the consumption of alcoholic drinks, which only exacerbates the situation and evokes negative thoughts even more. Sadly, holiday depression and the beginning of the New Year are the equivalents of getting up from the bed by stepping the wrong foot on the ground – it makes people feel worthless and depressed, lost in hope, experience high levels of anxiety.
Is There a Cure for Holiday Depression?
Well, do not get your hopes too high – holiday depression is not a sickness that can go away after taking only a few pills every day. If you think that holiday depression vanishes out of one’s life after the festive period, you have never been more wrong in your life. Holiday depression and any mental health problems must be taken very seriously and treated only under the supervision of medical professionals. Mental health experts before prescribing any medication to the patient, will always offer considering therapies and try to talk about the problems. Of course, talking about everything that worries you is a great help; however, some patients are often too scared to think about their actual problems, so a way to solving them is never easy.
Is There Any Chance You Might Help Yourself?
Of course, there is! We decided to concentrate more on a different approach and help everyone by offering them several tips on what to do during Christmas so one’s mind would be too busy to think about negative stuff. We first advise you to create a daily routine involving enough sleep, time for eating, doing sports, and pampering yourself with natural body care resources ! And now let’s talk about mental health-improving measures meant only for spending Christmas alone!
If we ask the people with whom they associate Christmas, many will answer that they can’t imagine celebrating it without home-made food! Even if your chef skills are not that incredible, only you will be able to complain about eating different Christmassy dishes. Start with ordering food preparation sets, which come with every ingredient and a recipe you may need to come up with a delicious meal. However, cooking requires not only ingredients or recipes but also a pinch of imagination and creativity, and there is no better way than to elevate these skills by preparing Christmas gingerbread biscuits! Even though you may have tasted the same meals prepared by your mother during the Christmas period for many years, do not be afraid to try something new this season and create your own festive kitchen traditions!
National lockdowns during Christmas made it difficult to communicate with other people eye to eye – modern technologies come in handy as they help maintain connections even if thousands of kilometres are in between two people. We advise you to try to connect with other members of your family by having a nice Christmas Eve dinner while facing each other on a group video call!
As a phone call can be a helpful solution, one should not forget that during Christmas, you can also show attention to another person by giving gifts. It is not that significant what exactly you will gift them as the main focus is on safe shopping online and delivery. Do not forget to protect both yourself and your loved one – choose gifting health as it is the only thing that you cannot buy. Besides, a strong immune system and overall health nowadays are really important.
Christmas cosiness in the home depends not only on the variety of tastes but also the sound and smell. Music can be a great backdrop for both baking various delicacies and engaging in other activities while you are home alone. We are not forcing you to listen to only Christmas songs during the season as they can only irritate us even more – try to listen to something acoustic or classical as these music styles have proved to be the most calming. In terms of smell, all the house will be full of the smell of baked goods, but in case you do not like it, try burning scented candles and not food in the oven. Order different scented candles from online retailers or invest in a modern scent diffuser, in which you can pour essential oils. It takes only a few seconds to fill your home with pleasant smells and, at the same time, precious memories!
Although it is quite easy to give in to the shopping mania during Christmas, we advise you to think about what you need the most. We mentioned rewarding yourself several times on purpose – being healthy, in terms of mental health, begins from listening to what your body and soul actually need. Sometimes all you need is to relax and be left alone with your own thoughts. More joy, especially when experiencing holiday depression, is given not by material things but by small moments and hope that every bad thing will sooner or later pass.