{"id":6766,"date":"2014-12-12T06:00:31","date_gmt":"2014-12-12T11:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=6766"},"modified":"2014-12-05T09:26:55","modified_gmt":"2014-12-05T14:26:55","slug":"10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html","title":{"rendered":"10 Ideas to Avoid Depression During the Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BFS_Depression_LG_2\"<\/a>It’s the most wonderful time of the year….well, not for everyone.<\/p>\n

Holidays can be difficult if you struggle with your mood and family issues. However, there are proactive ways to keep your spirit bright.<\/p>\n

1) Don’t overspend<\/strong>. Avoid being caught up in all the deals, discounts and e-shopping. Financial problems can be a real downer when those bills start rolling in. So curb the spending. Have a budget and stick to it.<\/p>\n

2) Moderate your eating and drinking<\/strong>. Too much alcohol can bring on depression. Too much sugar and fat make you tired!<\/p>\n

3) Examine your expectations.<\/strong> If you \u00a0have family problems, they don’t disappear during the holidays. Sometimes they worsen. So have a plan as to how you will deal with your family. What is realistic?<\/p>\n

4) Set boundaries and limits so you are not overwhelmed with stress<\/strong>. Taking on too much and running around with no down time can lead to a mood crash.<\/p>\n

5) Don’t isolate.<\/strong> Force yourself to go out, to attend holiday parties, church activities and community events. Being with people prevents loneliness.<\/p>\n

6) If you know you are going to have a tough time, get support.<\/strong> For example, if you have been sober for months, attend AA during holidays. Don’t neglect your meetings.<\/p>\n

7) Reach out to someone else.<\/strong> The best way to combat a down mood is to do something for someone else. Serve at a soup kitchen, volunteer to usher at church, participate in caroling at a nursing home, etc.<\/p>\n

8) Refuse to be the grinch<\/strong>. Change your negative talk to positive talk. Force yourself to see the upside of life, not the downside. Grab hold of those negative thoughts and turn them around by being thankful.<\/p>\n

9) Focus on the true meaning of the season.<\/strong>\u00a0It’s hard to be down when you read the Christmas story and meditate on what Christ did for you. Get away from the commercialism and spend time with God.<\/p>\n

10) Enjoy the moment<\/strong>. Sometime we get so caught up in what needs to be done, we lose the moment.\u00a0\u00a0Let go of perfectionism and savor moments by your tree, with a loved one or walking in a beautiful park.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s the most wonderful time of the year….well, not for everyone. Holidays can be difficult if you struggle with your mood and family issues. However, there are proactive ways to keep your spirit bright. 1) Don’t overspend. Avoid being caught up in all the deals, discounts and e-shopping. Financial problems can be a real downer…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[913,914,917],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-couple-relationships","category-family-relationships-2","category-friend-relationships"],"yoast_head":"\n10 Ideas to Avoid Depression During the Holidays<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Ideas to Avoid Depression During the Holidays\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It’s the most wonderful time of the year….well, not for everyone. Holidays can be difficult if you struggle with your mood and family issues. However, there are proactive ways to keep your spirit bright. 1) Don’t overspend. Avoid being caught up in all the deals, discounts and e-shopping. Financial problems can be a real downer…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Doing Life Together\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-12-12T11:00:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2014-12-05T14:26:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/files\/2012\/03\/BFS_Depression_LG_2.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda Mintle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@drlindamintle\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"10 Ideas to Avoid Depression During the Holidays","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"10 Ideas to Avoid Depression During the Holidays","og_description":"It’s the most wonderful time of the year….well, not for everyone. Holidays can be difficult if you struggle with your mood and family issues. However, there are proactive ways to keep your spirit bright. 1) Don’t overspend. Avoid being caught up in all the deals, discounts and e-shopping. Financial problems can be a real downer…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html","og_site_name":"Doing Life Together","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/","article_published_time":"2014-12-12T11:00:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2014-12-05T14:26:55+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/files\/2012\/03\/BFS_Depression_LG_2.jpg"}],"author":"Linda Mintle","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@drlindamintle","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html","name":"10 Ideas to Avoid Depression During the Holidays","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/files\/2012\/03\/BFS_Depression_LG_2.jpg","datePublished":"2014-12-12T11:00:31+00:00","dateModified":"2014-12-05T14:26:55+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#\/schema\/person\/1e16a9c7332cfcc5b5d89e4ba3a36142"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/files\/2012\/03\/BFS_Depression_LG_2.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/files\/2012\/03\/BFS_Depression_LG_2.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2014\/12\/10-ideas-to-avoid-depression-during-the-holidays.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10 Ideas to Avoid Depression During the Holidays"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/","name":"Doing Life Together","description":"Relationship Doctor, Mental Health, Emotional Wellness, Relationship Advice & Entertainment","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/#\/schema\/person\/1e16a9c7332cfcc5b5d89e4ba3a36142","name":"Linda Mintle","description":"It is rare that a trained academic who speaks passionately to the heart of people providing real answers to real life problems is so relatable. Dr. Linda\u2019s fun personality and expertise comes through whether she\u2019s helping her audience stress less or make peace with their thighs! Dr. Linda has her Ph.D. in Urban Health and Clinical Psychology and is a national expert on mental health. She has specialized in the treatment of eating disorders, anxiety, depression and pain management. With 30 years of clinical experience working with couples, families and individuals, she brings her common-sense approach to people who want to live in positive mental health. Dr. Linda is also a bestselling author with 21 book titles to her credit, a radio host of the Dr. Linda Mintle show, professor, national speaker, winner of the Mom\u2019s Choice Award, a national news consultant, featured writer for Beliefnet and hosts her own website. Her academic appointments keep her abreast of current research in her areas of expertise. Her media experience includes seven years as the resident expert for ABC Family\u2019s Living the Life television show and regular appearances on network television and radio. It is often said that being with Dr. Linda is like having coffee with a friend. She makes the complicated issues of relationships and mental health easy to understand and applicable to everyday living. The ease she has with people, coupled with her clinical training and experience makes her a sought-after speaker on college campuses, conferences and special events. Whether she is doing a TV skit with Tim Conway or discussing teen violence with Queen Latifa, Dr. Linda will entertain, educate and integrate faith and mental health in everyday living. Check out her latest book Hope and Healing for Anxiety, a whole-person approach to eliminate anxiety. .","sameAs":["https:\/\/drlindamintle.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/drlindamintle\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drlindamintle\/","https:\/\/x.com\/drlindamintle"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/author\/lmintle"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6766"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6766\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6769,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6766\/revisions\/6769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}