Saturday Sabbath
Heading Off the Holiday Blues
While the Blues are something to sing about, having the holiday blues can be painful and lonely. As we enter the 2020 holiday season in the middle of a pandemic, it is very possible that each of us will find ourselves feeling blue at some point. This could arise as reflecting on painful memories, grieving loss, feeling isolated, anxious, or even overstressed.
It is normal to experience each of these things from time to time, but the holiday blues come with the added expectation of celebrating Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Yule, Christmas, and New Years (to name a few) when we don't have the energy, motivation, or the will for merriment.
The holiday blues are different from seasonal affective disorder or clinical depression. These usually require medical and psychological assistance to address, while the holiday blues can be assisted by family, friends, and our BUU congregation. If you are concerned about yourself or another person experiencing something more than the holiday blues, it is best to seek medical advice immediately.
Making plans to head off the holiday blues is both away to prepare for them and help distinguish them from mental health issues that might need professional assistance. This Saturday Sabbath, you are invited to contemplate which of the following plans feel right to you to practice during the 2020 holiday season.
It is normal to experience each of these things from time to time, but the holiday blues come with the added expectation of celebrating Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Yule, Christmas, and New Years (to name a few) when we don't have the energy, motivation, or the will for merriment.
The holiday blues are different from seasonal affective disorder or clinical depression. These usually require medical and psychological assistance to address, while the holiday blues can be assisted by family, friends, and our BUU congregation. If you are concerned about yourself or another person experiencing something more than the holiday blues, it is best to seek medical advice immediately.
Making plans to head off the holiday blues is both away to prepare for them and help distinguish them from mental health issues that might need professional assistance. This Saturday Sabbath, you are invited to contemplate which of the following plans feel right to you to practice during the 2020 holiday season.
Breathe deep and contemplate which practice you will take up this holiday season:
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Limit alcohol consumption
While myths about the medicinal value of alcohol abound, it is a fact that alcohol is a depressant. It will not help you avoid unpleasant feelings or painful memories, but talking about them with someone you trust can help you through. Cutting back on drinks and reaching out to others is a means to heading off the holiday blues. |
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Reach out
A misconception exists that sharing the holiday blues with another person spoils the holidays for them. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The holiday blues are not contagious. If anything, feeling heard, understood, and connected catches when people reach out and make a call, not the reverse. |
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Exercise
While the new year most often brings an increase in exercise, initiating a new routine through the holiday season has two benefits: it helps to hold off the holiday blues and is more likely to become an annual routine. Think of exercise as the healthiest gift you can give yourself this year. |
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Set limits
At BUU we call setting limits sharing the "holy no." Setting limits on your time and energy is always a good practice - it is holy because it makes your desires clear while creating the opportunity for someone else to join in. With the time and energy you do not expend outward, you can focus inward and listen what is in your heart through the holidays. |
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Be realistic
We all have to face that this year's holiday season is going to be different. There is much that we will miss and grieve through this time. No holiday will be the same or even approach past perfection. Letting go of what the holidays should be, invites us to welcome them for what they are. |
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Come up with your own practice
These suggestions are far from exhaustive. There are many other ways to hold off the holiday blues, make art, journal, invent a dance, write song, etc. These are meant to be the tip of the iceberg and get you thinking about what more there is for you to discover. |