Keeping the Blue out of the Red — Making ourselves Mentally Swell this Holiday Season!

“Tis’ the season to be jolly…” rings the classic melody around this time of the year. Mise-en-scène of the season — Santas’ with their “ho ho..ha ha”s everywhere; dazzling reds n’ whites and goldens; billboards and hoardings with cheerful faces beckoning shoppers with epic discounts; dip in the temperature, crispness in the air, bonfires and marshmallows…ensemble — transporting our mind, body and soul to the year end sprightliness. “Oh! The trappings of the holiday fervour”.

Is this the only face of the holidays as we know it…

Shrouded by the overwhelming pressure to scout out …the entertainment, the shopping, the travel and not to forget the family reunions. The swelling traffic, booming crowds and serpentine queues at every billing counter are as much a part of the season as is the mulled wine. The holiday hubbub with it’s rip-roaring build-up can be very overstimulating to our brains. Often causing a fight-or-flight response which is also called hyperarousal or acute stress response. No surprise then that one hears of the ‘Holiday Blues’, as large number of people have reported experiencing depression and anxiety during the holiday season. The season calls for a lot of social energy as the pressure to be social and joyful is tenfold. Unlike extroverts who gain energy by being with people, introverts are easily overstimulated by intense or prolonged social interaction and are most affected by this as they need time alone to recharge.

People who do not get depressed may develop other stress responses, such as headaches, excessive drinking, over-eating, and difficulty in sleeping. Even more people experience post-holiday let down after January the first. This can result from disappointments during the preceding months and is compounded by the excess fatigue and stress.

While some of us are looking forward to the warmth and bonding with family members, for some of us it may be bracing themselves for negotiating the interpersonal dynamics of family. Financial constraints cast a pall over the ‘jolly’ season for many as it’s a financially demanding season too. Further with the advent of social media, the encumbrance to appear perfectly merry and efficacious is another monkey on one’s back.

According to an online survey among 2,018 U.S. adults, commissioned by Caron Treatment Centers, high expectations and perfectionism during the holidays can lead to disappointment, increased anxiety, and social media avoidance.

The survey also reveals that those using social media present their lives as happy and some even harbor resentment against others:

• The majority of adults who use social media (68%) say they tend to only share happy photos and status updates during the holidays.
• Nearly 1 in 3 who use social media (28%) try to avoid social media during the holidays.
• More than two in five (41%) young adults (18–34) say they’ve been jealous of others’ photos on social media during the holidays.

So, how do we steer clear of the holiday stress…

1. Koselig

Our own expectations of an over the top holiday bucket list — expensive shopping and high-end entertainment, make us topple right over it and leave us stressed as against feeling blessed. Gratitude really comes in handy as we shift our focus to the love, support and bond we share with our families. Taking a leaf from the Norwegian ‘koselig’, cosy way of living, i.e. the feeling of cosiness, warmth , intimacy, happiness and being content around one’s family and friends, would help us become more mindful of the holiday season.

2. Practice Prudence

You don’t have to be a party animal to validate the holiday spirit. Scale down your social commitments especially of the company you don’t really enjoy. Going overboard with alcohol will only add to the stress and mood swings as it’s a depressant. Continuing with the exercise regimen will boost your body, mind and spirit and energise you. Let go of temptations to argue, annoy, criticise, make slights and rake up resentments during family reunions.

3. Seek Professional Support

Immediacy in making a dental appointment for a toothache comes easy to us… but seeking support from a mental health specialist for that debilitating anxiety or enfeebling eating disorder make us drag our heels. What better time than the advancing new calendar to dock our riotous emotions at the therapists door.

Let’s then try and jingle our way into the coming year with our well armoured mental health in tow and bask in the glory of having thrived and not just survived the holiday season.