Incorporate daily relaxing time. Holiday time tends to be hectic and the pace of life quickens. Take 15 minutes of each day to sit quietly and reflect on the good in your life or meditate. Taking just a few minutes each day will help renew your energy and will help you put your life into perspective. Knowing that you will have this time to yourself to relax and unwind may help you get through a hectic morning.

Limit or stay away from alcohol.  Drinking alcohol can increase depression. Stay away from parties where you feel you may drink too much. If you must, limit the number of drinks you will have. Volunteer to be the designated driver to eliminate drinking altogether.

Accept that life doesn’t always go the way we want it to. Life has continuous bumps, and it is the way we handle those bumps that matters.  We cannot eliminate problems from occurring, but we can understand our reaction to them and try to view them in a positive light. Accepting the unexpected, whether we made a mistake to cause it or it just happened is important.

Depression hurts the person that is depressed, but also impacts all of the people around them.  Being proactive to help keep depression under control will improve your chances of having a peaceful holiday season and will help those around us to enjoy the season.