“He who has health has hope and he who has hope has everything.”
– ancient Jewish Proverb
LENNIE & I - Dec. 2009
While depression happens throughout the entire year, it can be more acutely felt and even triggered by the holidays. There are many ways that you can aleviate your anxiety and seasonal depression without resorting to pharmaceutical drugs this Christmas. Here are some steps that you can take to make yourself feel better during the holiday season:
- The first step is to stand straight, thus aligning your body. This will not only help your body’s natural energy flow, but will improve your breathing and the amount of oxygen taken in. You will be able to think more clearly and start to take other positive steps towards combating your Christmas Blues.
- Smile. Smiling not only makes you feel good, but helps your facial muscles to relax, making you feel less tense. Laughter releases endorphins, the feel good hormones that lighten up our moods. Rent a Christmas comedy such as National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation” with Chevy Chase and laugh out loud.
- Get moving. Everyone occasionally needs an afternoon nap, whether it’s due to physical or mental fatigue. But constant sleeping during the day will upset your body’s own bio-rythem cycle, causing poor sleep patterns during the night and a feeling of exhaustion upon waking in the morning. Get up and do something positive like taking your dog for a walk or the kids to the park. The fresh air will invigorate you and make you feel more alive.
- Cook something. Comfort food really can make you feel better as long as you don’t over-indulge. Try out a new recipe that is both nurturing and nutritious like a stew or soup loaded with healthy vegetables that will warm you on a cold winter day. Make an old favorite that you might not have cooked in a while. Baking can also lift your mood, especially recipes with vanilla. Vanilla has an aroma therapy effect on the brain’s Limbic system, bringing back the fonder memories of childhood. Go easy on the sugar though; sugar can rapidly spike your adrenaline level and then cause you to crash as the adrenaline quickly drops, exacerbating your anxiety and depression.
- Listen to music with a regular beat such as jazz. There are many lively Christmas CDs on the market that will help to lift your spirits. Even as babies in the womb, we respond to music. Get up and dance or just move around. Even simple movements will make you feel less tense.
- Get a professional massage. Recent studies from researchers at a Florida University showed, through EEG monitoring of the brain, that both listening to music and professional massage therapy significantly improved the frontal EEG asymmetry of the brain. These results were consistent both during and after the massage therapy and music sessions.
- Lean on a friend. Chances are that a good friend already senses your depression whether you have told him/her about it or not. Verbally articulating your feelings can lessen the burden and maybe that friend has something that they want to talk about as well. Just sharing your feelings with someone who cares and is sympathetic towards you will make you feel like a weight has been temporarily lifted from your shoulders.
- Lastly, think of those less fortunate at Christmas. Something as simple as praying or as altruistic as helping out at a shelter can often put your life in proper perspective.
LENNIE & I ...2009
Take a moment to reflect on all the really wonderful things in your life. Now you can go to bed pleasantly tired and hopefully you’ll fall asleep…counting your blessings.
Good tidings of comfort and joy,
On a personal note I want to mention that Lennie and I have discussed in length whether or not he should stay in Hawai’i with the sun and ocean and pure air until we go back to Mexico in January. We decided that the cons of being alone without me out-way the benefits, so he will be arriving here in Hamilton in mid-December. So this Jewish guy is starting to love Christmas; but not as much as I do. If anyone would like to talk to him about how he is progressing with his alternative cancer treatment we can be reached at 905-528-4197.
Also, once again I will be hosting my 9th anual Christmas Open Studio & Toy Drive on the first weekend of December. Please go to the website link below.
Kathryn