5 ways to get through a Blue Christmas

How to handle the holidays when you're "just not that into it"

Holidays are a time of year when emotions run high, whether you're feeling the warm fuzzies or the blues. So, how can you cope with stress, anxiety & changes in your mood during the holidays when you're just not that into the holiday spirit? Here are some tips on what to do if you're starting to feel the Holiday Blues. 

Focus on the positives & do things for others

Focus on the positives. If you’re feeling melancholy, the holidays can be a tough time to focus on anything positive. However, please know that it is possible—you just need to look for them. It might be something as simple as enjoying your hot chocolate or seeing how beautiful holiday lights look. You may even find that something you usually think of as an annoyance (like fighting over holiday traffic) becomes a welcome distraction from your mental health issues during this busy season!

Do things for others in need. Despite all of the materialistic aspects of the holiday season, it's also about giving back and helping others less fortunate than ourselves—so why not give back this year? Volunteer at a soup kitchen or shelter; sponsor a child through a charitable organization, donate blood; donate toys, etc. The options are endless!

Be realistic & go easy on yourself.

You can't expect everyone to be happy, and you can't expect everything to go perfectly. That’s why you shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself. It's okay not to have a perfect holiday season every year.

• Don't put pressure on yourself by thinking that your family will be disappointed if they don't get what they want. Instead, focus on being realistic about how much time and energy you have available during the holidays—and then plan accordingly, so that no one feels like they're getting short shrift from you or from others in the family.

• Don't worry about doing everything for everyone else: it's okay if someone else does something for your family member instead of you this year (or vice versa). You may need some space for yourself, especially when things get stressful with other people around—and there's nothing wrong with taking care of yourself first!

Start a new tradition

Now that you know how to deal with the blues during the holidays, you might want to consider starting a new tradition. You can start something new that will help you remember the positive aspects of this time of year. Here are some examples:

• Start a 'giving tree' with your family and friends, where everyone makes or buys gifts for those less fortunate than them.

• Get involved in an organization that does something for others during this time of year (i.e., volunteering at a soup kitchen).

• Plan an event for people who don't have family around them or other resources to get through this time (i.e., having dinner at someone's house).

Get moving!

Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and improve mood. It can also help you sleep better at night, which is important for your overall health.

There are plenty of options for aerobic exercise. Try swimming, running, cycling or walking — just make sure you pick something that you enjoy enough to stick with it! For example, if you don’t like running, but love swimming, then find a pool and go for it! And don't worry about how much time it takes for the benefits to kick in — even 10 minutes of low-impact exercise will help your body release endorphins (the chemicals that make us happy).

As far as how much exercise is needed to get these results? That's up to you! Some people prefer 30 minutes while others prefer an hour. Find what works best for your schedule so that it doesn’t feel like too much work or too little reward after every session. 

Look for ways to make your life simpler and less stressful.

When it comes to handling the blues during the holidays, the first thing you should do is look for ways to make your life simpler and less stressful. This can include taking time each day to relax, doing things you enjoy, finding ways to simplify your life, making your life more peaceful and less stressful, or making your life more enjoyable.

These strategies will help reduce stress so that when it's time for family gatherings and other holiday events that are likely to trigger negative emotions in some people (like anxiety), they're less likely to have an impact on you.

The holidays are difficult, but it helps to have a plan ahead of time and be willing to work on yourself before you can expect things to get better.

When you're feeling down, the holidays can be one of the most difficult times of the year. It's easy to get caught up in memories that may not be so wonderful and start to feel like nothing will ever change.

The best thing you can do for yourself during this time is to try your best not to focus on yourself too much and instead focus on others. This could mean volunteering at a soup kitchen or buying presents for less fortunate children who wish they could have Christmas presents like yours. Whatever it is, make sure that whatever you do will bring more joy into someone else's life than your own—it will keep things in perspective for you and allow you to realize how much people need help out there (and how lucky your family is).

Have realistic expectations of yourself when it comes to handling stress during this time as well; don't think about what should have happened last year or what might happen next year if things don't go perfectly right now...this leads nowhere but disappointment! Instead, just take each day as it comes and go easy on yourself if things don't go according to plan - there is always tomorrow :)

Finally, take some time off before New Year's Day arrives so that when 2023 rolls around, we'll all be ready with our new plans: whether it's taking care of ourselves better next year or starting new traditions because old ones weren’t working anymore!

Final note

If you’re struggling with depression this holiday season, remember that you are not alone. There are people around you who care about you, and there are ways to get through this difficult time. Start by talking to someone about how you feel; it could be a friend or family member, or even a therapist if your symptoms warrant it (which they might). While it may be tempting to isolate yourself from others in order to get through the holidays without incident–don’t do it! Instead, reach out to others whenever possible because connecting with positive people can help boost moods and give us strength when times seem bleakest. 

If you’d like to read more about topics connected to this subject, please check out some of our other articles posted on our blog:

• The many health and well-being benefits of daily meditation

• Maintaining health & well-being in the digital era

• Nature Therapy: Immersion in Nature

• Holistic Spaces: The power of wellness-inspired interiors

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