Holiday Blues? Or Post-Holiday Slump.

Holiday Blues? Or Post-Holiday Slump

~Ideas and thoughts (some facts)~

One question we had as a mental health professionals are:

"Why are there a peak of clients in January and February? After Holiday it's really busy!!!!"

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), mentions that the seasonal affective disorder (Seasonal Depression/Anxiety) happens during the Winter month (December, January, and February).

When natural light lessens, and there is also the Holidays, such as Christmas, New Years, Valentines day (I guess).

However... is that all there is to it?  There is definitely just more clients in general at the clinics.

I discussed with my colleagues about the Holidays and the stress people get and the stress we get.

1) Holiday Blues

On one side where people are feeling happy, joy, excited and loved.

On the other side of the coin, the contrast becomes more evident, of stress, sadness, anxiety, and loneliness.

Because of the environment is generally happy, those who are not becomes more obvious, right?

2) The Holiday Hypothesis- why stressed out in Holidays?

Holidays is a good pattern interruption to everyday life.  

Stressed that you need to do something different from usual.

Stressed that you are going to see friends and family that you don't see them so often.

Stressed that you need to prepare for a big event or be part of the preparation.

Stressed that you may have too much human interaction or none at all.

Stressed that you need to buy things.

And on top of this, you beat your body with cold weather, less natural light, lack of sleep, more work, less exercise, more food, and liquor or other crappy stuff.

No surprise that people feel stressed.  

However....

3) The USUAL Mind Trap.

Read the following: 

Excited that you need to do something different from usual.

Excited that you are going to see friends and family that you don't see them so often.

Excited that you need to prepare for a big event or be part of the preparation.

Excited that you may have too much human interaction or none at all.

Excited that you need to buy things.

Same sentence as above, why can't we make it different?

As excitement and anxiety are practically the same thing except what you expect of the future, and stress can be either eustress (good stress) or distress (bad stress);  Holidays are great time to feel either feelings, positive or negative.

And the choice is... who do you think?

Conclusion:

Holidays are event where emotions has the opportunity to go to an extreme, Excited or Distressed.

Unfortunately, people do not get enough support to get to the excitement, is my belief.

Because business gain good income during holidays.  Workers need to work harder and what if the workers love their company, what if they get bonuses at the end of holidays?

Because opportunities of saying thanks shows up.  What if you do say thanks not only to your family and friends, but even to others who helps your life and show gratitude?

Because it suppose to be day of showing, whispering, and feeling love. What if people do express love?

I hallucinate that probably we have less Holiday Blues and Post-Holiday Slumps.  What do you think?

Have a loving, happy, thankful, awesome HOLIDAY!