Do you ever feel melancholy during the holidays?
Have you ever wondered how (or why) those around you are so merry and bright?
I do and periodically it makes me want to push cheerful types right into oncoming traffic.
I think it’s pretty common to get the blues this time of the year, or at least I hope so. Well, maybe not the pushing part.
There’s a lot of pressure that comes with the holiday season: over commercialization that begins the day after Halloween, finding the perfect gifts, figuring out to pay for them, taking the perfect photo for your family holiday card, getting them in the mail, decorating your home top to bottom, creating (or maintaining) all those warm and wonderful traditions, etc., etc., etc.
The holidays also mark the end of the year and maybe you haven’t accomplished all that you had hoped to and that’s a tough realization.
This time of the year is meant to be spent with your loved ones, but perhaps you live miles apart and can’t be together or they are no longer with us and the memory of them is easier to conjure.
Maybe there are other reasons that are contributing to your sadness; financial hardship, family feuds, frustrations at work, no job to speak of, it’s too cold, or no special “someone” in your life.
My losses and heartaches are no different than yours, but during this time of the year when To Do lists are long and patience is short, they are a little too close to the surface.
I know that this overwhelming feeling will soon pass and nothing will be sweeter than turning the page on the calendar to a fresh new year full of possibilities.
In the meantime, I am trying not to overindulge or run myself ragged, doing my best to keep up with my exercise routine and taking on each task one at a time. Trust me, I am NOT always this productive.
Whatever your woes, try to find something this holiday season to make you smile and press on. It’ll be over soon and you don’t want to miss it!
Would this help?
Do you experience holiday blues? How do you manage your stress level?
