Combatting the ‘Holiday Blues’
Be mindful of tips to avoid getting the holiday blues. Photo by VNS By Susan Clayton Meyer, Program Manager, Behavioral Health at VNS Health HEALTH - We all know the stereotype of the “perfect” winter holiday season—family coming together from across the country, extravagant gifts, huge meals with everyone around the table, decorations, parties, social gatherings, and of course the requisite perfect winter weather. However, life is a lot more complicated than a Hallmark holiday movie (for starters, how DOES the hair of those Hallmark movie heroines always stay so perfect in the snow?). The truth is, for many people the holidays can be a trigger for feelings of grief, loneliness, stress, and fatigue. As the National Alliance on Mental Illness found , 64% of those with a mental illness say the holidays exacerbated their symptoms, while three out five Americans report that their mental health is negatively impacted by the holidays. It’s important to remember tha...