The holiday blues can be triggered by a number of things: the anniversary of a loss of a loved one, old memories, old conflicts, the stress of overspending, even the awareness of aging. On top of that, we generally, during the holidays, do a poor job eating, sleeping, and exercising, which can contribute to the blues. The blues are different from clinical depression. They are less severe and time-limited.
Here are some simple actions to help someone with the blues:
1. Express your concern and ask how you can help. Just being concerned and offering to help is very important as it is giving social support.
2. Try to involve the person in holiday activities, but don't be forceful. The more you push the more they may resist.
3. Check in with phone calls and visits, even if they are very brief. The frequent contact can really help.
4. Let the person know it’s OK not to feel festive all the time, and that feeling down doesn’t necessarily
mean the holidays are ruined.
5. Finally, be a good listener. Sometimes just listening without offering advice can go a long way.
The holiday blues can be triggered by a number of things: the
anniversary of a loss of a loved one, old memories, old conflicts,
the stress of overspending, even the awareness of aging. On top of
that, we generally, during the holidays, do a...
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Dr. Joshua C. Klapow answered:The holiday blues can be triggered by a number of things: the anniversary of a loss of a loved one, old memories, old conflicts, the stress of overspending, even the awareness of aging. On top of that, we generally, during the holidays, do a poor job eating, sleeping, and exercising, which can contribute to the blues. The blues are different from clinical depression. They are less severe and time-limited.