Winter is a difficult time for many people. In addition to those who experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the holidays can also bring on feelings of depression among those who may not have loved ones to spend the holidays with. Then comes the New Year, and still more people experiencing the blues at this time. Brought on by a dip in mood after the excitement of Christmas combined with large credit card bills from the holidays, and continuing cold weather, the January blues can impact just about anyone. If you’ve been dealing with feelings of depression since the holidays, here are some suggestions on beating the New Year’s blues.
Address Financial Issues
If you think that your depression may be largely stemming from financial troubles—such as large credit card bills from Christmas shopping or an upcoming large tax bill—then the best way to cope with this is to take charge of your financial situation. While you may think that pushing it to the back of your mind will help you to feel less stressed, the trouble will always be there, lurking in your thoughts and dragging your mood down.
Instead, start working on addressing your financial troubles. Get on a budget, set up payment plans, and start organizing your finances. While this won’t make the financial issues vanish, the act of taking charge and making a plan can significantly improve your mood and help you to feel empowered.
Reconsider Your Resolutions
A large number of people use this time of year to reinvent themselves and try to improve themselves in some way. Of course, this is fantastic, and setting goals is important for personal growth. But if you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or just generally low, you may want to look at your resolutions and see if they’re the cause of it. If you’ve set your goals too high or have simply set the wrong goals for yourself, you may be feeling depressed about your lack of progress towards them.
That’s not the point of resolutions! If your resolutions are making you feel worse about yourself, something’s wrong. Reconsider your goals. Adjust ones that need to be adjusted, or ditch them altogether if you need to. There’s no shame in dropping a resolution in the name of taking care of your mental health.
Don’t Isolate Yourself
In the winter, many people tend to shut themselves indoors to avoid the chill. This can cause feelings of isolation and depression in many. If you’ve been really isolated lately, and you think that may be the cause of your low mood, try to make plans to be around people.
That doesn’t have to mean going out to a party or being around a huge group. Visit family that lives nearby. Invite a friend or two over for a movie night. Take your laptop to a coffee shop to work instead of staying at home. A little more time around people can go a long way towards improving your mood.
Feelings of depression at this time of year are fairly common and, often, these simple tricks can make a big difference. But if you’re still struggling with severe depression, anxiety, or PTSD, you should always seek help from the best PTSD treatment center you can find. Be sure to discuss a variety of treatment options, including lifestyle changes, medication, and psychotherapy PTSD treatment. Contact Kinder in the Keys Treatment Center today for more information on treatment options for PTSD, anxiety, and depression, including the January blues.
