For many, the Depression counseling for the holidaus: Helpful tips from Empower Counseling.
For some people, the holidays are the best time of the year. For others, the holidays only amplify what they see as not going right in their lives.
There are many triggers that could lead to depression during the holiday season.
With so many demands on us, balancing work and personal lives can leave us feeling stressed and overbooked. The more stressed and overbooked we are, the less attention we tend to pay to our own needs and wellbeing. We tend to exercise less, eat poorly, and not get enough sleep, during the times we need all of this self-care the most.
Buying the right gift for every person on our list, can lead to credit card debt. With credit card debt, comes financial stress.
Have you ever had unrealistic expectations about your holidays? It is so easy to do…we tend to create a picture in our heads of the perfect holiday. Once we get this picture in our head of what it should look like, anything that falls short of that exact picture is a failure, and therefore, filled with disappointment.
We are more likely to compare ourselves to others during the holidays 9especially if we are trying to create the perfect holiday, right?). We see the holiday cards from our friends with photos of them at the top of the ski slopes, or on a beautiful island with crystal blue water. Or we see the card with the photo of who we think must be the perfect family, unlike our own filled with difficulties and problems.
Or if this happens to be the first holiday season without a special loved one who has passed, we might not be able to envision a happy holiday without that special person.
Whatever the reason, the holidays can be tough on us.
Depression counseling for the holidays: helpful tips from empower counseling:
There are many things you can do to care for your own mental health during the holidays.
- Are your expectations realistic? Rigid expectations that are nor realistic only lead to disappointment. Be sure to keep your expectations realistic. Better yet, don’t have any expectations at all. Focus on what is important to you during the holidays and stay in the present moment. That will take care of disappointment altogether.
2. Practice saying ‘no’. Make this holiday season the first one where you only say “yes” to the events that excite you. Say no to everything else. Live your own agenda, not someone else’s agenda.
3. Limit the comparisons. Notice when you are comparing yourself to others, and choose to focus on your own strengths instead.
4. Keep up with self-care. Putting your own physical and mental wellbeing at the top of your “to-do” list will add to your enjoyment of the holiday season. Make self-care a non-negotiable item on your schedule.
If the above tips are not enough to help you enjoy your holidays, reach out to Empower Counseling. We have female and male counselors trained in Acceptance Commitment Therapy ready to help you through the holidays. We specialize in helping college students, young professionals, adults and teens with anxiety counseling and depression counseling.
Empower Counseling is located in Mountain Brook, and convenient to Homewood, Vestavia, Hoover and other surrounding areas. We offer online and in person counseling that fits your schedule, including evenings and weekends.
Call Empower today 205-730-6570.