Many people around this time of year deal with something called "seasonal depression". This means this is a time where depression occurs at a certain time of year for someone. For those of you struggling through the holidays, and struggling to have motivation for families, friends, and stressful activities, here are some tips I have gathered from my own personal struggle. This may not fix everything, but I hope these tips can help at least a little bit this season.
1. Try hard to keep a regular sleep schedule.
Sleep is important for even the most basic of human functions. Losing sleep can worsen your symptoms and prolong them. Working hard to keep a good sleep schedule, and getting the proper amount of sleep is very important. If you have trouble sleeping, try taking Melatonin supplements to ease your mind. For me, exercising a couple of hours before bedtime helped a lot too.
2. Fight your lack of motivation.
One of the hardest things to deal with when it comes to depression is a lack of motivation. Even doing things you love seem pointless and boring. One hard thing I've had to learn is that in reality, I still love doing those things, but my depression makes me think I don't. Do you love wearing makeup? Do your makeup. Do you love taking pictures? Take pictures. Do you love playing board games? Play board games. Do you love hanging out with your friends? Hang out with your friends. This is very hard to do, I know, but give it a try and see how you feel.
3. Find something to look forward to.
So, recently, I got engaged and I'm really excited about getting married. But, even more recently, I've been struggling a lot with being excited about things. So, one thing that I have chosen to always be excited about is my wedding. Even though it's a small thing, it still helps me get through those tougher days where everything is pointless and I don't want to be happy about anything. And it doesn't have to even be something like a wedding. Think smaller. Order yourself something on Wish or Amazon. Even if it's something dumb and inexpensive, it'll give you something to look forward to. I don't suggest doing this all the time, obviously, because you'd be in a major hole of debt or something (and shopping addiction can get pretty bad). Just sit down and think of something you can look forward to.
4. Spend time with your pet.
Animals are very therapeutic for depression. One of my favorite ways to feel happier is to spend time with my dog. She's very sweet and energetic and loves to play. She also loves to cuddle! It gives my brain something to do and gives me a sense of companionship. So, if you have a pet, I recommend trying to spend more time with them and see how that works for you!
5. If something good happens, hold on to the feeling you get.
A lot of time with depression, it's easy for your mind to filter out all the good stuff and leave you with everything that's wrong in your life. One great way to help with depression is as the days go on and something eventually good happens (even if it's something small, like you had enough money in your bank account to buy coffee), hold on to that moment. In your mind (or out loud, whatever works for you), say , "This is good. This is a good thing in my life." It sounds lame, but it does help you with that common habit to believe your life is nothing but terrible.
These tips may not work for everyone, of course, because all minds are different. I just hope this article helps some of you through this seasonal depression. The holidays are hard, and the financial struggles during and after the holidays are even harder. I just hope and pray all of you find peace during this time and try hard to be the person you want to be.
