7 Tips for Getting Through the Holiday Blues

By Jo Ann LeQuang

Whether you’re fighting the holiday blues or you are suffering from a crash-and-burn depression, you should know that depression is not something that you can just wish away. Depression ranges from a mild, temporary, low-level mood to a serious clinical condition, and all points in-between. At its worst, it can be debilitating, isolating, and disabling. Even just being down in the dumps can make you ache and feel worn out. If you are in a deep depression or have recurrent depressions, please see your doctor. But if you find yourself getting bummed out as the Christmas lights come on, there are ways to fight depression naturally.

Sleep Patterns

Get up and go to bed the same time every day (even weekends). This may sound silly, but many mood disorders and mental health conditions have a curious link to sleep patterns. While medical experts do not know why sleep matters so much for mood disorders, the fact is that sleep deprivation or erratic sleep habits do nothing to promote a good mood (or good health, for that matter). Find and stick with bed and wake times that give you ample (but not excessive) amounts of sleep. If you get insomnia (lots of depressed people do), then fight back with lavender essential oil (a few drops on the back of the neck or diffused in the bedroom), a dark and cool bedroom, and melatonin supplements (available at your local pharmacy without prescription). If you want to sleep 10 or more hours a night on a regular basis, you may be dealing with a clinical depression; please see a physician.