The season that belongs to the joyous, the season full of cheer, the season full of life and laughter. This season is so hard for so many people, for so many reasons. Although I don’t suffer from seasonal depression, the holidays are still the toughest part of the year for me. The incessant pressure to be happy and thankful can be so exhausting when you are so sad. Getting through the holidays can be really hard but hopefully I can help with a few tips and mediocre anecdotes.
This weather is almost an incubator for depression in the sense that all you want to do all day is stay in your warm bed, binge watching Netflix and scrolling through Instagram for the 13th time. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do this from time to time but this type of hibernation can turn into an extremely unhealthy habit. Make plans with friends, go take a walk, or simply move to a different room in the house, don’t just do nothing all the time. This weather also gives you the ability to hide behind long sleeves and pants without question, don’t abuse that. Don’t hurt yourself because no one will see, you’ll regret it later, I promise.
Even though I have a whole month off of school I decided to take a course over the break to keep me busy and keep me out of my head because I know myself and my habits. Another thing to take into consideration is social media and how it will affect you. This time of year our feeds are flooded with pictures of people traveling to new places or posing in the snow with the love of their life or a simple solo shot with their new Gucci belt they got for Christmas, during these times we have to avoid comparison. Remember – comparison is the thief of all joy and social media is not real life. Also, you do not have to be happy all the time or try to constantly convince people you’re happy, whether that be on social media or in real life. Family coming into town was always the hardest for me because I never wanted them to see my sadness, I’ve always been their Claire Bear – the one that was always smiling with not a care in the world. Putting on the act that everything was fine was so exhausting but I never wanted them to think anything different of me, I didn’t want to be weak. But looking back I think its okay to be weak sometimes, find the courage to tell your family what is going on, let them be there for you- I was never able to and I so wish I did. So ultimately, acknowledge your depression because as I’ve said time and time again, it will not go away on its own. This time of year it can be really hard to get in with health care professionals simply because of the sheer volume of people seeking help, so don’t wait. Find things that make you happy and surround yourself with that, whether it be a person or a place or anything in between.
Now onto the New Year: a clean slate, the fresh start you’ve been longing for. My new years resolution this year was to give up soda and I like to think that I did a pretty good job. This wasn’t just for the obvious health benefits of giving up soda, I did this to prove to myself that I am capable of sticking to something. Your resolution doesn’t have to be something so big and grand and unrealistic, it can simply be to get better- whatever that means for you. Make “New Year, New Me” a reality. Become the person that you have always wanted to be, chase after the life you have always dreamed of, and pursue people and hobbies that remind you of why you are here. One last reminder for this holiday season- be compassionate and empathetic and humble and mindful and love those around you.
You are LOVED. You are NEEDED. You are ENOUGH.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
Self Care with Claire 