Continue your current treatment plan. Even though it is tempting to skip doctor appointments during the rush of the holiday season, don’t. Skipping appointments or stopping medication can cause your depression to spiral.
Find ways to overcome loneliness. Today, families are much more mobile than in years past. Family can live thousands of miles away from each other. If you do not have family living near you, plan in advance for pangs of homesickness. Volunteer your time at a local shelter or distribute food packages to the needy. Find organizations planning holiday dinners and volunteer your assistance. This will allow you to feel as if you are giving to those less fortunate, provide you with an outlet to make new friends and alleviate some of the feelings of loneliness. Keep yourself busy by spending time with friends or check out your local paper for free holiday activities and concerts that you can attend. You can invite some other people you know are in similar situations to share holiday meals with you.
Take control of your finances. Create a spending plan and stick to it. Don’t worry that you are not able to afford to buy the finest gifts. If you need to cut spending, consider limiting your gifts to just children and let the adults in your life know that you have chosen to provide only for the younger ones this year. Talk to your family and friends about foregoing gift giving to pool your resources and donate to a family that may do without this year.
Choose the people you want to spend time with. If you have family or friends that are judgmental or you feel uncomfortable around, be selective in where you spend your time. Find people that are supportive of you and invite them to your home for a holiday party. Seek out those people that will make you feel good about yourself and try to incorporate them into your holiday plans. Avoid or limit the events where you must be around people that will bring you down.
Prioritize your tasks. Say no to those things that are not priorities and allow yourself time to complete the tasks that must be done. During the holiday season there are normally extra things such as shopping, entertaining, school events and parties. Understand that it does not reflect on who you are as a person if you are not able to do everything. List the items you really want to accomplish and work on completing those before you add more to your list.
