Overcoming the Holiday Blues

25 Days of Christmas is flying by over here at Laurel and Iron. I don’t know about you but Christmas seems to have come out of no where! My goodness. 25 days seems like so long but with just under a week til the big day, I’m feeling the pressure.

The juggling of schedules and families and travel. The wrapping of last minute gifts. The realizing you promised to bring two dozen cookies to your office party and the store is minutes from closing. It’s a lot. For anyone.

Even if I was an incredible goddess of having my life together, the holiday season would still be hard. I am definitely not a goddess of having my shit together. My life is a jumble of returns that need to get dropped off at the post office, mystery leftovers in the back of the fridge that I keep forgetting to toss on trash day, and a waist high pile of laundry that needs washing.

Add to that the fact that I’m not actually done doing my Christmas shopping and you can imagine that I’m in full on panic mode now. It would be easy to lean into that feeling of chaos and turn into a pre-Christmas miracle Grinch.

But it can be just easy to lean out…and get over your holiday blues.

Get Active

I’ve talked at length about why staying active, especially this time of year, is so important for me in this post here. The long and short of it…Staying active helps me clear my head.

Overcoming the Holiday Blues | Laurel and Iron

Talk it Out

If you’re feeling stressed, don’t keep it to yourself. Phone a friend, your mom, or seek out professional help. Bottling it up won’t make it go away. So, let it out. There is no shame in it. We all need help from time to time. Or if you’re like me, all the time. You don’t have to go through it alone.

If you don’t feel like you can share with the people around you, there are resources available. Check out the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They offer free crisis hotlines and can help connect you to support. For 24/7 emergency services, call 1-800-273-8255 - the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. They’re trained staffed are ready to help you in times of distress and will help you develop a safety plan for the future.

Remember the Reason for the Season

Feeling stressed about picking the perfect gift (check out my shop local and my Yankee swap guides)? Is your credit card bill starting to scare you? Feeling overwhelmed about the number of holiday parties you need to cook for?

Drill down into those feelings and remember what Christmas is really about. Picking a thoughtful gift surely can be a beautiful gesture but your friends and family would much rather spend time with you! Don’t let the stress of gifts get in the way of spending quality time with those you love.

If you’re worried about bills, set limits and budgets. Stick to it. Remember, the time you spend with your friends and family is more important than the gifts you give.

Do not go into credit card debt for Christmas.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the number of engagements you’ve committed to, take a look at your calendar again. If the thought of going to your friend from high school’s Christmas party is making your anxious, beg out. Make arrangements to meet up with your friend in the new year. While your presence will surely be missed, no one will be mad at you. Stay at home and take care of yourself instead.