'Tis the season to be jolly? Not necessarily. For many people the holiday season, which kicks off with Thanksgiving and spans through New Year's, is anything but blissful. In fact, this time of year may trigger a bout of the blues or perhaps ignite a depression that has been smoldering under the surface for months.
"Holiday blues are a pretty common problem despite the fact that as a society, we see the holidays as a joyous time," says Rakesh Jain, MD, director of psychiatric drug research at the R/D Clinical Research Center in Lake Jackson, Texas. "Many people feel depressed, which can be due to the increased stress that comes with the need to shop and the decreased time to exercise which gets put on the back burner during the holidays."
While people with clinical depression should seek professional help, those with a touch of the holiday blues can try these strategies recommended by experts to assure a jolly Christmas and a happy new year.

Visiting Ghosts of Christmas Past

"See what it was in the past that led to trouble, whether drinking too much alcohol or not exercising enough or the decreased social contact that comes from going to parties with relative strangers, but forgetting to connect with friends and family," Jain suggests. "Every time depression visits, it leaves a fingerprint. Look for what in the past has been a repeat source of trouble and find ways to avoid it. If you plan, it's very likely that you won't be singing the blues this holiday season."
Sending a Holiday Card -- to Yourself

"Writing about your holiday blues can actually change them," says Darlene Mininni, PhD, MPH, author of The Emotional Toolkit. "People who write about their deepest feelings when they're upset are less depressed, less anxious, and more positive about life than people who write about mundane things," she tells WebMD. She suggests writing for 15 minutes a day for three or four days in a row and answering such questions as "Why does this upset me so much?" Or "What would I like to see happen?"

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How To Survive The Holidays Without Going Into Debt



“The enemy is debt,” says John Rosenfeld, a former Green Beret who, between he and his fiancé, has six children. Rosenfeld should know how to survive the holidays so that he’s solvent in January and beyond: he is also the head of Everyday Banking for Citizens Bank.
But it is his military background in planning, executing and debriefing after a mission that he draws on during the holiday rush. “Who knew being a Green Beret would help with holiday spending?” Rosenfeld says.
The approaches to a mission and holiday shopping are remarkably similar, he says. Here is his his three-point plan for making it through the holiday season unscathed.




1. Have a Plan
“No matter how many unknowns you encounter during your mission, you will have a game-plan to go from,” says Rosenfeld. “That is why having a budget is so important.”
Plan for what you expect to buy and how much you anticipate spending.Rosenfeld suggests having separate budgets for your holiday travel, gift purchases, entertainment and entertaining.

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This thread has had many views, but no one has posted
I hope that doesn't mean that everyone got depressed from reading it.
>Yes `Space, you failed again on this thread. Get some rest & try again. "If @ first you don't succeed >> Have a few drinks & try, try again<

>Ok `Santa > Thanks <

 

No Space you did not fail!!! It reminded me it is the season for giving. So I hopped over to JEGS and Summit and decided to give my Monte a few nice things!! New shocks, a racing harness, electric water pump drive, and a pair of exhaust cut outs!!! Can't wait to see the look on her grill come Christmas morning!!!! LOL
Happy Holidays everyone!!! Come on Spring...I wanna go racing!!!!!!

 

Hi Barbara & thanks for being the first to post on this thread & sharing your gift's for your Monte

"Spring will return with time", there's a season for everything & for everyone. Enjoy your present of this holiday season.

Wish you & yours + your awesome Monte Carlo a Safe & Happy Holiday season >EnJoy<

 

7 Ways to Squelch Holiday Squabbles


WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

WebMD Archive
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Do the holidays send you running for antacids, not because of too much food ... but because of too much family? This year, try replacing the Tums with a peacekeeping plan. According to Peggy Post, author of the 17th edition of Emily Post's Etiquette, would-be holiday peacekeepers should arm themselves with the fundamentals of etiquette, "consideration, respect, and honesty." Post shared the following tips for promoting harmony at family gatherings.

1. Be Realistic

Post tells WebMD the first step toward enjoying the festivities is to set aside idealized images of how things should go. "Be realistic," she says. "Don't think anything is going to be perfect."
Psychologist Peter Wish, PhD, agrees that expectations are key. "Be prepared and know that people tend to get on each other's nerves and push buttons that can go all the way back to childhood," he tells WebMD. "People have these tapes in their head and tend to respond the way they did years ago. You don't need to respond the way you did before."
2. Anticipate Conflicts

"Plan ahead and try to be as calm as possible with other people," Post says. If you can anticipate the types of conflicts that are likely to come up, you can plan a response in advance. This can help avoid the knee-jerk reactions that tend to escalate tensions. For example, if you tend to have the same argument with Dad again and again, come up with a plan to break the cycle. One strategy is to signal your spouse to run interference.
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Once you have a plan to keep yourself in line, decide how you will handle bickering among other family members. Wish suggests separating "the combatants" and asking them to call a truce for the common good.
3. Share the Work

Eda Lang, a retired teacher, has hosted her extended family and friends for many holidays over the years. She says one of the biggest sources of tension is trying to prepare a feast solo when you're working full time. "You want to do right by Mom and Dad and all your loved ones, and you don't want any of them to be alone on Thanksgiving, so you invite them all. But you are stressed out from work and you have no one to help."


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8 Early Holiday Tips To Keep You Sane -- And Less Stressed < CLICK

 

'Tis the Season to Stress Less

Holiday Gratings


WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD

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