Holidays and mental health

Omar Dajani. 01/01/2021

This holiday season, many of us were having fun celebrating and being safe around family. Many of us were likely enamored by the ‘holiday spirit,’ but some may have not felt very strongly towards this holiday. Part of the reason can be attributed to the ongoing COVID-19, but there are other causes that may contribute to this as well. One cause seems to be what is called the ‘holiday blues,’ which are feelings of anxiety and depression that occur during the holidays. These feelings impact a person’s enjoyment of a holiday in a variety of negative ways, which may make them feel even worse. How does someone get these feelings, though? Is there a way to get rid of them? How is the current pandemic impacting the holiday blues, if at all?

People may experience the holiday blues for a variety of reasons, some of which include cooking that needs to be done, decorations that need to be bought, outfits that need to be coordinated, people that need to be seen, among many more. A person also may not be able to celebrate with family, and thus may compare themselves to others and feel as if they barely have anyone to be festive with as a result. All of these factors can cause a person to feel bad during the holiday season, which, as mentioned before, may lead to guilt for not enjoying a holiday. This only causes the holiday blues to become stronger. It is, effectively, a never-ending cycle.

As the picture at the top of this article illustrates, quite a large number of people experience holiday blues. This makes it so this issue has a sense of universality to it, as it seems like people from all walks of life can get the holiday blues. The American Psychological Association conducted a survey asking people about how they feel during the holiday season. Around 38% of people surveyed said their stress increased during the holiday seasons, which shows how prominent this issue really is. In a strange way, remembering you are not alone in feeling this way may actually be very encouraging and helpful when it comes to not letting these feelings get to you. Knowing that there are others experiencing the same things you are can be reaffirming and comforting, even if the context behind why you are getting these emotional boosts can feel upsetting.

It is obvious that holiday blues is a problem, so how can you go about handling it? What else can you do besides remembering you are not alone? There are a variety of ways, including getting light exercise, trying to stick to your normal schedule as much as possible, eating in moderation, trying to set reasonable goals and making a budget when it comes to buying presents. It also helps to remind yourself how holidays are only temporary and that they will be over soon enough. The way you are feeling right now is not here to stay! Just because you experienced the holiday blues before does not necessarily mean you will experience them again later.

However, COVID-19 is its own problem when it comes to the holiday blues. Usually, people seem to get the holiday blues because they might feel as if they are not doing enough to celebrate the holidays, or they are comparing themselves to other families and seeing how happy those families are. With the pandemic, people might get the holiday blues because they cannot see their families at all in the first place. They may want participate in the holiday festivities, but sadly cannot due to what is going on in the world. This puts a spin on how the holiday blues usually occur, and there is sadly no real solution to combat this specific problem. All people can do is remain safe and hope that next year’s holidays will not be like 2020.

Even with the mindset that holidays blues is only temporary, it seems like the issue itself often repeats. It certainly helps that it only happens during holidays, but there is no proper way to get rid of the holiday blues once and for all. Every person is different, and a person who was unhappy during Christmas one year can be over the moon the next year. It seems to be based on context, which is why it is important for someone experiencing these types of feelings to do whatever they can to not let their holiday experience be ruined. If it does become very difficult to deal with, the option of calling a mental health professional is always available. There are ways to combat your holiday blues, as long as you try to be as proactive as possible and not let these feelings overwhelm you before you get the chance.

Cover Photo: (Sacramento Magazine)