50+ Effective Ways To Beat The Holiday Blues

With the holiday season approaching, you all might be preparing yourselves to meet and greet your loved ones. The holiday season is a great time to re-establish happiness and rejoice again.

However, for some people, it can be a time of sadness, anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Know that, you’re not alone; according to a study, 64% of people with existing mental illness can experience holiday blues.

Additionally, as per records of the National Mental Health Association people who have conflicted personal relationships and stress due to financial limitations can experience the blues of the holiday season. Apart from this, people also experience holiday blues due to seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Dalai Lama Rightly Quoted,

“Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your actions.”

With this quote, everyone should learn to not let sadness take over. In this blog, I have covered all you need to know about holiday blues and 50+ effective ways to beat the holiday blues. So, let’s get started!

What are Holiday Blues?

Holiday blues are the continuous feelings of sadness that last through the holiday season (especially during November and December). Holiday blues can also be called holiday depression.

Signs and Symptoms of Holiday Blues

Signs and symptoms of holiday blues are recurring or persistent feelings of sadness that occur right away prior to the beginning or after the beginning of the holiday season. Such symptoms vary in duration and intensity.

For example, some people might start feeling low in periods while some can have a short period of symptoms. Below are some of the common signs and symptoms of holiday blues:

• Sleeping more or sleeping less
• Depressive mood
• Irritability
• Major changes in appetite and weight
• Difficulty in focusing or concentrating
• Worthlessness
• Guilty feelings
• Feeling anxious or worried
• Loss of pleasure or interest

Causes of Holiday Blues

There can be various reasons behind the development of holiday blues:

• Lack of sleep due to a tight schedule can increase the stress response.
• Unhealthy eating or excessive drinking can worsen depressive symptoms.
• Struggling to afford gifts or any type of financial stress can lead to holiday blues.
• Not being able to spend the season with loved ones can make someone feel lonely and can also trigger holiday depression.
• Keeping high hopes or setting unrealistic expectations can lead to persistent sadness and stress.

We all know that holidays are marked as a joyous time as it approaches the New Year. There are high chances that people also begin to start reflecting on the past year’s goals or experiences. This can also lead to feelings of failure or regret.

It’s not only us who are prone to experience holiday blues but do you know kids can also feel low specifically during this season due to seasonal changes, routine changes, missing friends, and more?

If you think you or your child might be experiencing severe holiday blues, it’s always a better idea to watch out for the signs and seek advice from a registered and experienced mental health professional.

Treatment of Holiday Blues

Generally, holiday depression or holiday blues can be controlled or managed by seeking some social support and making some healthy lifestyle changes. For effective lifestyle changes and coping techniques, you can scroll down to the next section.

Since the holiday blues or holiday season is a short-term period, you can also seek mental health-related advice from a professional. A therapist can help you in identifying negative thinking patterns and replacing those thoughts with positive ones.

They can also teach you some better stress management, relationship, and communication skills that can be used as a permanent treatment for overcoming the holiday blues.

Ways to Manage the Holiday Blues:

1. Solo activities

1. Meditate or pray for everybody’s wellness.

2. Take a nap and cleanse your negative thoughts.

3. Write a small appreciation letter for yourself.

4. Practice yoga or any other kind of exercise.

5. Go healthy this holiday season.

6. Go for de-cluttering.

7. Paint your space with positive colors.

8. Reward your pet with a small gift.

9. Cook something good for yourself and set up a candle-light dinner.

10. Go for a detox bath.

2. Social connection activities

11. Video call your friends or family.

12. Go for social media detox or digital detox.

13. Read blogs of your interest on the internet.

14. Write something and post it on social media.

15. Recall memory and share it with your friends.

16. Host a zoom virtual party, play games, or watch Netflix together.

17. Send small gifts to your family members and friends.

18. Be kind to the local artists in your city and support them.

3. Nature-filled activities

19. Plan a road trip with your friends (please follow Covid-19 guidelines).

20. Enjoy a serene view in your city (please follow Covid-19 guidelines.

21. Go for ice-skiing or related activities (please follow Covid-19 guidelines).

22. Go on an unplanned trip into the woods or mountains (please follow Covid-19 guidelines).

23. Go on a solo trip (please follow Covid-19 guidelines).

4. Self-care and self-love

24. Try self-care activities.

25. Follow the Seven-step prescription for self-love.

5. Kindness

26. Support local artists and workers.

27. Volunteer in any program.

28. Be kind towards people.

29. Radiate positive vibes.

30. Help those who are in need.

31. Gift something to the helpless.

32. Read or paste “Be Kind” quotes on your wall.

33. Send inspirational messages or quotes to your friends or family members.

6. Education

34. Read books or learn mindfulness.

35. Conduct free learning sessions for children.

36. Get hands-on with a new activity.

37. Learn something new online.

38. Work on your plans.

39. Focus on your hobbies.

40. Show your creative side and decorate your room or home.

41. Read self-help books.

7. Family activities

42. Cook something together.

43. Decorate home together.

44. Play family games.

45.  Plan a movie night.

Related Read: 20 Best Inspirational Movies On Netflix to Motivate you

46. Watch laughter or funny videos.

47. Help each other with the chores.

48. Gift each other small gifts.

49. Plan a family trip.

50. Volunteer in any organization.

51. Listen to each other and fulfill their needs.

52. Write appreciation letters for each other.

I hope this blog helps you to beat the holiday blues with these 50+ activities. Comment down and let us know which way you are going to use to beat the holiday blues. For more such content, follow Calm Sage on all social media platforms.

Thanks for reading!

Happy holidays!

Also Read:

50+ Effective Ways To Beat The Holiday Blues

4 Issues That Show Up During Relationship Counseling In Holiday Season

Let Go Of Your Holiday Stress With These 8 Best De-Stressing Techniques

7 Tips To Help You Have Healthy Holidays When You’re Coping With Eating Disorders