Cold, dark winters can depress anyone. Most people who live in climates with changing seasons experience the ‘winter blahs.’ People who experience these symptoms to a greater degree may be diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder, a condition that is caused by the lack of sunlight in the winter time.

Although S. A. D. sufferers have more intense symptoms, many of us undergo some change in mood during the winter months. We may feel laziness and an increased need for sleep. The cold makes us want to stay inside our houses. We want to eat warm, starchy, creamy foods that are more fattening than the fruits we might crave in the summertime.

When all these factors combine, it is not surprising that we experience a bit of depression. Being cooped up inside make us feel trapped and isolated. It is essential to find ways to fight these feelings. Here are a few ideas for activities that can help.

Learn a New Hobby

Is there an instrument that you’ve always wanted to learn to play? Did you buy an Alvarez acoustic guitar a year ago, but still haven’t gotten around to learning to play? Buy an instructional CD and get started! Winter is a wonderful time to begin on the hobbies you’ve been putting off. If you’ve always wanted to paint, buy some supplies and just do it! Make wise use of your time at home.

Get Out Of the House

One of the problems with winter is that we feel trapped in our houses or apartments. This is generally only in our heads, though. The cold is not as terrible as we perceive it to be. Go out for a meal with a friend you haven’t seen in a while, or just get coffee. Invite your sister to join you on a quest for the perfect leather brown boots. Just getting out of your house and changing your scenery can make a huge difference.

Take Up Working Out.

There is nothing like exercise as an antidote for depression. The chemicals that your body releases during exercise lift your mood all on their own. Even if it is too cold to go out for a walk or jog, you can find many ways to work out. Find a video that has an aerobic or muscle workout routine you can do at home. Join a gym if you have the money to do it. There are lots of ways to get exercise.

Winter may seem dark, cold, and endless, but with a little bit of effort, you can definitely fight the ‘winter blahs.’ Distract yourself long enough with these activities, and suddenly, you will look up and it will be spring!

They say that everyone has to experience the Christmas blues at least once in their lifetime.  For me, I always thought that that’s impossible.  I love Christmas. It is the holiday that I look forward to the most. they are correct really. the Christmas blues have hit me. I am officially experiencing Christmas stress. I can’t face the idea of holiday garland.

I cant think of what has gotten into me. I am wiped out recently. I was supposed to get gifts for everyone this week but I just can’t seem to find the right kind of cheer I need.I always try to my best to have a cheerful demeanor because I believe that when you shop happy you buy gifts that make people happy. As if things couldn’t get any worse, mu husband Jim was talking to his boss who mentioned how much fun he had at last years dinner party so essentially invited himself.It must have slipped my husbands mind to tell me again yesterday. 

On top of everything else like the gifts I still have left to buy, and the Christmas stress I have going on, I still have a dinner party to get ready. I need to switch into my Superwoman mode right now. There’s nothing going on. I am overly tired. I hope I’m not coming down with the flu or something.  It’ll be a blow for the kids. People have come to expect the happy cheerful me at Christmas time. I wouldn’t want to hamper their festive mood.

Ugh. I really, really don’t feel so good.  Excuse me…. WHAT!? I’m officially out of my Christmas stress. 

I just found out that Jim and I are having a baby! Bring on the festivities! I guess the crystal white garland might get hung this year.

Many people think that Christmas stress is about the Christmas rush, or is experienced when you made a lot of preparation for the Yuletide Season, like the food, decorations, and in choosing for the perfect presents to be given to every member of the household, or to your friends. For some of us we aren’t so lucky as for our main source of stress to be what goes under the pre lit christmas tree, but a lot of other considerations. For physicians like me, the holiday stress doesn’t just disappear after Christmas day is over and the house is cleaned up. For us, Christmas is the entire 365 days of the calendar, or in short, everyday is Christmas day.

The holidays are about hope and giving life. Physicians like myself make life changing decisions every day, not just for ourselves, but for our patents as well. We make them happy, especially if we can detect hope for their illness. We also make them happy, even if treatment for their diseases is impossible, as long as they know we are doing our best in helping them adjust to their illness situation, and eventually help them accept death.

That is what makes everyday of our life a Christmas celebration, and it is stressful enough in our part, especially is we will be witnessing the last breath of our clients. It gets really hard some times to be tough in front of someone who is dying, and all that you can really do is be sympathetic, or most of the time just letting them be with family is best. That is very nerve-racking in my part. It’s true when I say that holiday stress can be very different when you’re a doctor, because you can’t run away from it, it becomes a part of everyday normal life. So this year when you’re sitting around the pre it christmas wreath just relax and think it could be worse.

Christmas can bring happiness, joy and stress, that is, for sure. Yearly, I have to go through the stress of this festive season. When I think about it, I view Christmas in two lights, as both the happiest and most tiring day of the calender year. Why? Because it makes me think about something that I haven’t achieve for this whole year, and another year is about to come and make me struggle to get into that goal. Me having my baby isn’t making the season any easier on me. My man Labron, he just helps me relax and makes sure I don’t worry myself to death at this holiday that comes once a year and always ends up ok. Everything down to picking up my new upside down christmas tree stresses me out!

I always think that the reason could be that Christmas shows me the things I’m lacking and that leads to more Christmas stress, both because I shouldn’t be thinking such things and because it’s sad to think about. Every year when Christmas eve arrives things seem like they will be ok. I get to see people I don’t always see often, especially my parents, since they live in New Orleans and we are in the state of California, and even my nieces and nephews. Although sometimes we don’t encourage them to visit us during Christmas because I know they have other plans on this occasion.

Due to everything, I try to do a few things I’ve learned over the years to distract myself. I usually plan ahead and list down all the things to prepare. My husband manages to help me out by giving me second ideas on our next planned expenses during Christmas too. And next year we are hoping to spend Christmas abroad, at least that could be a less stressful for us. I like to think of the things I’m looking forward to purely for my enjoyment like my chandelier christmas tree.