The holidays should be a time of joy, good cheer and high hopes for the upcoming new year. However, after the gift shopping, holiday decorating, and family get-togethers are done, many people are often left with elevated levels of stress or depression this time of the year.

The holidays are also a time when people feel the loss of a loved one more sharply. Even the memory of a traumatic event, such as a serious illness, can dampen one’s holiday spirits. Older adults, for example, may feel isolated or forgotten, as the season reminds them of happier times.

Whatever the reason, there are strategies that we can use to fight holiday depression.

 The health care professionals at Christ Hospital offer the following suggestions to help ease the stress in the midst of this holiday season:

 Make a list and prioritize the activities that are important to you.

•  Limit your alcohol consumption. Drinking too much can lead to uninhibited behavior, hangovers, and remorse, all of which can lead to depression.
•  Make an active effort not to worry too much or get bogged down with details.
•  Avoid overeating and get enough rest. Though it may be hard to do, the benefits of both are obvious.
• Play games to keep your brain sharp. There are many different kinds of games — such as trivia, memory and math — and skill levels to suit all kinds of people. Games can also be a fun way to spend time with others.
•  Increase your physical activity. Go for walks at safe and warm locations, such as the mall, which will help improve lower body strength, maintain mobility and help prevent cognitive decline. Being active increases your endorphins, which decreases stress levels.
•  Spend time with supportive and caring people. These kinds of social connections are good for your emotional well-being.
•  Laugh a lot. Laughing increases circulation, immune system defenses and mental function. As the saying goes, laughter often is the best medicine.
•  Remember to take some time for yourself. Do the things that you enjoy, such as reading a book or listening to music.

 For more information about depression, anxiety, and substance dependence, please call Christ Hospital’s Department of Behavioral Health Services at (201) 795-8375.

 

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The post Holiday Health Stress Tips first appeared on River View Observer.

 While gift-buying consumes the lionâ€s share of most budgets, holiday decorating doesnâ€t have to be expensive. A little ingenuity goes a long way!

Here are a host of ways you can decorate your home without spending a bundle this year:

Round up whatever teddy bears are living in your home and arrange them in a chair.

• Give them bright red ribbon neckpieces and pile small, brightly-wrapped packages and on their laps.
• Cut lacy snowflakes from heavy white paper and hang them in your windows suspended from red and green ribbons.
• Buy some small ornaments and hang them on your houseplants. Use skinny gold ribbon instead of hangers for an especially festive touch.
• Collect the prettiest pine cones you can find an spray paint them gold and silver, covering some completely with paint and letting some of the natural color show on others. Pile them into a basket, put the biggest, fanciest ribbon you can fin on the handle and set near your fireplace or on your porch near your front door.
• Buy a big, inexpensive clear glass bowl (flea markets, thrift stores, and dollar stores are good bets for these) and fill it with individually wrapped candy canes of peppermints for family and guests to enjoy.
• Make cookie cutter do dual duty: After youâ€ve finished your holiday baking, hang them on your tree.
• Gift wrap your front door with fancy foil paper. Glue a red ribbon diagonally from top to bottom.
• Make a collage of old Christmas cards, put it in an inexpensive frame and hang it on your wall.
• Use evergreen boughs liberally. If you donâ€t have any evergreen trees of your own, contact tree trimming services in your area and ask if you can get some for free. Make evergreen garlands and wrap them around stair and deck railings and drape them from your fireplace mantel, using plaid taffeta or red velvet ribbon to secure them with inside and red weatherproof ribbon outside.
• Group several white or ivory candles of different sizes and heights together in the middle of your coffee table on a fireproof plate. Stick brightly colored Christmas ornaments around and between them and edge the arrangement with small pieces of evergreen. Make sure greenery is far enough away that it wonâ€t catch fire.
• Spend an evening with the kids stringing popcorn and cranberries to use as garland decorations on your tree.
• Make some spicy pomanders by sticking whole cloves into oranges and lemons, making sure to cover the entire surfaces of the fruit. When completed, pile into a large glass bowl and use as a centerpiece or wrap in lacy ribbon and hang in closets to lend a lovely holiday scent now and repel moths later.
• Tie bunches of cinnamon sticks with red, green or plaid ribbon. Use in arrangements of greens on mantels, end tables and elsewhere to lend an additional wonderful scent.
• If you have any old toys such as vintage train sets, arrange them around the base of your Christmas tree.

Implementing any or all of these holiday decorating ideas can be a fun experience that involves the entire family and perfectly expresses the spirit of the season.

Read more Holiday Ideas

The post Quick and Inexpensive Holiday Decorating Ideas first appeared on River View Observer.