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As the hustle and bustle of this holiday season is behind us, it is a good time to take some time, take a deep breath, and reflect. Have the holidays been a joyful time with friends and family, or has it been an overwhelming experience, leaving you feeling tired and stressed?
Everyone is familiar with stress and all the negative effects that accompanies it. While stress can occur at any time, the holiday season can shift our stress into high gear. There have been high expectations for everything to be perfect, lots of extra expenses, and full calendars. Some expectations can be unrealistic, which adds to feelings of stress. It is no wonder that we sometimes have feelings of relief that the holidays are coming to an end. The shopping, baking, gift buying, and family gatherings is over for another year. That should mean the stress should end also, but for some feelings of stress, and even depression can set in after the holidays. The Holiday Blues Many experience Post-holiday blues. This is also known as post-vacation syndrome, stress, or depression. Many of the symptoms can be distressing and include.
So why do some experience a roller-coaster of feelings related to the holidays. There are a number of reasons contributing to the post-holiday blues.
While some may be confused as to why they are feeling this way, they are not alone. Having the holiday blues is not uncommon. In a past survey, as many as 64% of people reported feeling down, depressed, or having the blues. Recognizing what you are feeling, and why you are having these feelings is a very important first step. Once recognized, interventions can be put into place to beat those holiday blues, such as.
Reach Out While all these are important and helpful suggestions, perhaps the most important to remember is reaching out, and that you are not alone. As humans, we are social beings and having connections is extremely important. Activities and socialization play an important role in feeling connected with others, decreasing stress and loneliness, and just feeling good. Social support even affects our hormones and is associated with increasing levels of oxytocin. This can lower our stress and motivate us to seek out others who are important to us, such as friends. Why is it important to reach out to friends, and maintain our relationships with those we consider to be our friends? The Importance of Friends Having connections is an important piece of the human experience. Recent studies have proven that having conversations with friends can improve mental health and increase overall well-being. This research supports the benefits that contacting and interacting with friends bring, such as.
Call a Friend Day National Call a Friend Day is December 28th. The purpose of this day is to encourage friends to stay connected. While emailing and texting has become the usual way of communication, having a conversation over the phone provides a feeling of connection. We now know that the holidays can cause stress and depression. We also know that staying connected is one method to deal with these feelings. National Call a Friend Day is supported by many psychological organizations as it is evident that talking to friends does improve your mental health. Connecting with a friend can include different interactions including.
So, on December 28th (and every other day) call a friend! Happy New Year! Peggy Fossen DNP, RN, CNE References https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/coping-with-holiday-stress-keeping-our-expectations-realistic https://www.psycom.net/depression/post-holiday-depression https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/life-without-anxiety/201401/the-holidays-are-over-why-am-i-so-blue https://www.nami.org/blogs/nami-blog/november-2015/tips-for-managing-the-holiday-blues https://www.mentalhelp.net/stress/socialization-and-altruistic-acts-as-stress-relief/#:~:text=Socialization%2C%20or%20enjoying%20other%20people%27s,are%20all%20examples%20of%20socialization https://www.apa.org/monitor/feb08/oxytocin https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-one-conversation-with-friends-per-day-can-help-your-mental-health#1 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/friendship-20/202303/why-you-should-make-that-phone-call-to-a-friend https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/national-call-a-friend-day/ https://anydayguide.com/calendar/5030 https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/what-to-know-about-oxytocin
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Hello friends! My name is Kate, and I’m a senior in college studying Psychology and Philosophy, with minors in Art History and Fine Arts. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, but I now call Boston home while I finish my last year of school.
Art and expressing myself creatively have always been central to who I am. I enjoy painting, playing guitar, and above all else, writing. While I've found that these outlets have allowed me to process the world around me on a deeper level, they have also allowed me to form a connection with myself and my ever changing identity. Writing, in particular, has been my way of grounding myself since early highschool. To me, it is a form of introspection, meditation, and healing. This is what first drew me to Burn Away Your Burdens: the shared belief that healthy and personal coping mechanisms are essential to growth and stability. Beyond journaling, I love to write fictional stories, poetry, and songs. I’m so grateful to be part of this inspiring community, and I can’t wait to keep sharing my personal and academic work with all of you. Categories |
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