How to combat depression during the holidays

Posted
The holidays are generally happy times for those who celebrate them and have families that get together. However, there are some people in the world who may not be so jolly during that time of the year. Such people may have to fight hard to avoid experiencing depression. Individuals who are most susceptible to holiday depression include single persons; persons with no close family; low-income families; recently divorced persons; and people diagnosed with clinical depression. If you are in one of those groups or one of the other groups of people who are susceptible to holiday depression, you'll want to implement some preventive strategies. Here are five effective depression busting tips for you: RAMP UP THE EXERCISE One of the quickest ways to get undepressed is to exercise and get your heart rate up to where your body starts changing your serotonin levels and endorphins. The holidays are a great time to sign yourself up for a gym membership and then dedicate yourself to visiting that facility at least three times a week during the rough season. You'll find that your mood and your sleep patterns are wonderfully regulated. JOIN SOME NETWORKS If you're someone who has a shortage of friends and close family members, you can try to remedy that situation by joining some networks. There are literally thousands of networks that you can join so that you can communicate with people who have similar interests. If you're a single mother, you can find other single mothers in the area. You can join a network of people who get together for social events every week, as well. There are no limits to the connections that you can make. You certainly don't have to feel depressed or alone during other people's holidays. START A HOBBY The holiday season is the perfect time to get into a new hobby or craft. You can only focus on one thing at a time, so your mind will be so full of the hobby that you will not have time to think about the depressive side of the holidays. You can choose from a vast assortment of hobbies from knitting, sewing or crocheting to painting or playing a sport. It's up to you to dig deep into your soul and discover what you truly love to do. MEDITATE AND BE THANKFUL Many people spend so much time being sad about what they don't have that they don't have time to be happy about what they do have. Prescribe yourself some thankful meditation every time you start feeling blue about the holidays. Close yourself into a quiet room and communicate with your higher power. Make a list of all the good things that you have received in this life. If you do that, you will most likely forget about the things that you don't have. MANIPULATE YOUR ENVIRONMENT Finally, if all else fails, you can always manipulate your environment. Take a trip to someplace that doesn't celebrate the holidays. Go explore a new town. Jump on a boat and take a cruise. The stimulation that you get from changing the scene will help combat depression. Those are just a few suggestions that you can try. You can even try to think of some variations for yourself. Whatever you do, don't let depression win because it doesn't have to. EDITOR'S NOTE: The preceding article was provided by Newsmax Health. It does not represent the beliefs of The Manning Times or its staff and is presented here for educational purposes only. Anyone feeling they suffer from depression should seek medical attention.