The holidays can be extremely stressful and many people feel depressed and anxious. We have a variety of strategies and tips that can increase your ability to not only cope but to enjoy the winter holiday season and start the new year off right.

1. Beat the Holiday Blues to
Kick-Start the New Year
James Korman, PsyD
Chief – Behavioral Health & Physician
Wellness

2. Holiday Cheer

3. Holiday Cheer??

4. Why?

5. • Stress vs Anxiety
• Holiday Blues vs Depression
• Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD
• How is it related to the holidays?
• What to do?

6. What is Stress?
 Stress is a normal response to demands that
are being placed on us
 Demands <= Coping and Resources NO
Stress
 Demands > Coping Abilities Feel Stress

7. Sources of Stress
The Good
Get married
Have children
Buy a new home
Go on vacation
New job
Promotion
The Bad
Break a leg
Spouse loses job
Child gets in
trouble
Lose wallet
In-laws coming
The Ugly
Nasty car accident
Bankruptcy
Divorce
Illness
Loved one dying

9. Freeze, Fight or Flight Reaction
• Productive if you were in a situation where you
need to protect yourself

11. It is a Matter of Perception
 When we perceive threat we prepare
ourselves for action
 Very rarely attacked by Bears so threat is
now
 Social
 Emotional
 Financial
 Work related

12. Anxiety
• A Freeze, Fight or Flight Reaction
• Fear or Panic
• Worry or Concern
 Not happening now
 Future focused
• Impairs functioning
• Chronic

14. Holiday Blues
• Mid November to January
• Symptoms
 Sadness
 Dysphoria
 Blah - Melancholy
 Sleeplessness - Oversleeping
 Moody - Irritable
 Tired
 Low energy
 Eating too much or not much
Does not impair functioning
Does not continuously linger

15. Major Depressive Disorder
 Symptoms
• Depressed mood most of the day
• Loss of pleasure
• Significant weight loss / gain
• Insomnia / hypersomnia
• Agitation / lethargy
• Loss of energy
• Feeling worthlessness / excessive
guilt
• Can’t concentrate / indecisiveness
• Repeated thoughts of death /
suicide
Lingers continuously 2 weeks or more
Impairs functioning

19. Why The Holidays?
• Overscheduled
• Busy at work
• More socializing
• Decorating, baking, shopping,
wrapping
• Bills and gift giving
• Family gatherings / houseguests
• Traveling
• Pressure to appear “Merry”
• Drinking
• Thinking

20. What to do?
• Expectations
• Family
• Food
• Drink
• Manage
 Time
 $
 Resources
• Loneliness / Grief
• Wellness
• Thinking

21. Be Realistic
• Does not need to be “Perfect”
• What should the holidays really be
about?
• Others don’t care
• OK if not merry all the time
• Social Media
• Won’t be like childhood
• Set achievable goals

22. Family
• Not going to change
• Not time to let it hang out
• Probably not time to fix
 Try mending fences positively
• Expect SOME conflict
• Leave anger aside for now
 Make the holiday criticism free
• Take a break
• Mix in positive people

23. Food
• Lighten up your recipes
• Limit sugar & carbs
• Look for protein
• Eat before you go
• Bring something healthy
• Move away from the food – Socialize!
• Sample means sample

24. Alcohol
• Increases depressive symptoms
• Disturbs sleep
• Decreases inhibition
• Moderation!!
 Alternate with seltzer or water
 Make a “spritzer”
 Beware of hidden calories
• Limit nights per week

25. Management
• Don’t rely on memory
• Schedule it
 On your Calendar
• Start early
• Ask for help
 You’re not weak or a failure
• Don’t buy it if you don’t have the $
 How much is it really used?
 Others understand
 Layaway
 Avoid credit card debt

26. Loneliness
 Reach out to others
 Be honest: “I don’t have set plans yet”
 Facebook
• Message me if you want to….
 Meet Up Groups
 Volunteer
 Local organizations

27. Recent Loss
• Firsts are HARD
 Manage expectations
• Include and memorialize
• Create a new tradition
• Don’t avoid – lean into grief
• Create a life large enough to include the loss

28. Wellness
• Exercise
• Sleep
• Me Time
 Play
 Pamper
• Stress Reduction
 Yoga
 Mindfulness Meditation
• Headspace
 Resilience
• Gratitude
• Random acts of kindness
• 3 Good Things

29. Wired for Negative

30. 3 Good Things

31. Empirical Outcomes

32. Seek Help
• Counseling
 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
 Interpersonal Therapy
• Medication

33. Think it Through
• What would I tell a friend
 Same situation
 Same thoughts and feelings

34. Medication
• Benzodiazepines
 Xanax
 Klonopin
 Ativan
• Antidepressants (SSRIs)
 Zoloft
 Lexapro
 Prozac
 Paxil
• Buspar

35. Resources
• Academy of Cognitive Therapy
 www.academyofct.org
• Mind Over Mood
 Dennis Greenberger, PhD & Christine Padesky, PhD
• Worry Cure: 7 Steps to Curing Your Worry
 Robert Leahy, PhD
• Stopping the Noise in my Head
 Reid Wilson, PhD
• Mindfulness for Beginners
 Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD (Audio CD)
• Wherever You Go, There You Are: Meditation in Everyday Life
 John Kabat-Zinn, PhD
• Head Space App
 Mindfulness meditation

36. Beat the Holiday Blues to
Kick-Start the New Year
James Korman, PsyD
Chief – Behavioral Health & Physician
Wellness