It is estimated that 11 million people are diagnosed with this disorder which has been incorrectly referred to as “winter blues. Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, is a mood disorder characterized by mental depression related to a certain season of the year, most often being winter. SAD is a clinical diagnosis with the onset usually occurring during adulthood, and is four times more likely to be experienced by women than by men.
If you are experiencing these feelings you are not alone, nor do you need to be a counselor to understand why many of us feel a holiday letdown. Here are some actions you can do to cope with your feelings this time of the year:
1. Spend a moment each day closing your eyes, slowing your breath, and focusing on your feelings. Whatever you are feeling, feel it, reflecting on the feeling’s origin.
2. If you find yourself experiencing the holiday blues, don’t hide or ignore those feelings. Acknowledge them to yourself and others. Many people are feeling the same way.
3. Recall the parties, family gatherings, people you met, family members with whom you reconnected. Recall the memories, not from the perspective that it’s over, but that it happened. How did those encounters affect you or change you? What can you take away from these encounters? Might you have made new friendships? Connect with the new friend. Did you meet distant family members? Develop a plan to stay in touch in a meaningful way.
4. Recall your fondest and favorite memories of this holiday season. How do those memories make you feel? Take that feeling and find a way to make the feeling last into the new year.
5. Make a conscious effort to find a way to make Christmas spirit and meaning last into the new year. If we can do that, then there is no longer a need for the holiday blues, since the holiday never will truly end.
*Portions of this article were taken from: www.psychcentral.com and mentalhealthamerica.com