Mental health and the winter holidays

The popular song aside, the winter holidays season isn’t “the most wonderful time of the year” for everyone, whether you celebrate Christmas or something else. Many people find themselves suffering from low mood around this time, for many different reasons.

Reasons for poor mental health in winter

• Seasonal Affective Disorder – decreasing daylight and cold temperatures can bring on hormone imbalances which cause the appropriately named SAD.
  
• Missing connections. If you’re not close to your family (emotionally or geographically), the emphasis on togetherness during the holidays. Those living with abuse also may find that the expectation of happiness can trigger sadness and other negative feelings.
  
• Family stress – pressure to make the holiday perfect can make it worse, causing stress which leads to fights and distress.
  
• Bad memories from previous winter holidays. Heart attacks are known to spike around Christmas, maybe because people put off seeing a doctor until after the holidays. Those who do seek help may find it difficult to get an appointment due to holiday closures. Cooking holiday dinners can lead to kitchen fires. Increased alcohol consumption leads to drunk driving, domestic abuse, and assault. Expensive presents and distracted homeowners provide opportunities for burglaries: having your house broken into will add to your stress.
  
• Feeling left out or disenfranchised. Christmas is focused on in Western countries. Employers in a primarily Christian country may not allow time off for non-Christian holidays like Hanukkah. Most public places only have Christmas-specific decorations and music. All this can be alienating for people who don’t celebrate it.

It doesn’t sound like a good time at all, does it? But there are things you can do to make the winter holiday a better and more positive one.

Improving mental health during winter holidays

• Prioritise your safety. Check burglar and fire alarms and make sure your kitchen appliances are in good working order before the holiday starts.
  
• Take care of your health. If you know or think you might suffer from SAD, for example, get a sun lamp and take a multivitamin. Ensure you get regular exercise and enough sleep. It may help to get a physical check-up before the holidays if you think you’re at risk.
  
• If you have negative associations with Christmas, and your finances and situation allow it, do something completely different. Go abroad, and/or book in for an adventure-type activity. If that doesn’t work for you, arrange some volunteer work at a homeless shelter, food bank or care home.
  
• Supervise cooking food closely and consider getting an extinguisher and/or fire blanket if you haven’t already got one.
  
• Drink responsibly, especially if you’re not at home. If you think this might be difficult, get a friend to monitor your intake and remind you when to stop. 
  
• If a situation is making you uncomfortable or frightened, do your best to remove yourself from it or get help.
  
• Reduce pressure – ask for assistance and don’t take on all responsibility yourself. Don’t feel the day has to be perfect and don’t worry unduly about small problems. Often mishaps will provide funny stories and shared bonding for future holiday get-togethers.
  
• Spend time with other people. If you’re not going to be with family, meet up with friends, or (again) arrange to do some volunteering.
  
• If the mid-winter holiday you celebrate is marginalised at your workplace, see if anyone else there celebrates the same day. Your employers should let you take the appropriate time off, and if they aren’t doing so, talk to Human Resources.

If you still need advice or help, to combat low mood in winter, please call me for advice or an appointment.