Coping with the Holiday Season

For a lot of people, this time of year brings on anticipatory joy for what the holidays will bring- spending time with family, catching up on much-needed relaxation, or socializing with old friends. For others, the winter months bring on opposite feelings- increased anxiety due to the excess stress of the hustle and bustle, or feelings of sadness, due to heightened depressive symptoms.

If you’re someone who tends to feel overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done, the unspoken expectations of the “perfect” holiday, or just plain exhaustion of feeling “down”, you’re not the only one.

Anxiety and the Changing Seasons

With the change in season, the daylight hours are decreased, and the stress of the impending commotion of the upcoming holidays definitely takes its toll on people.

You want to feel better.

These are the times when you may be tempted for an easy “fix” to feeling better; to just say, “f-it” and allow yourself to succumb to the easiest, quickest way to feel better. For some, it could be spending sprees, overeating, all-night partying, or promiscuous sex. I mean, these things will surely bring you some relief from feeling so down, right?

When feeling lousy, you probably want to feel better quickly——and maybe, just maybe, you squeeze in that extra piece of yummy chocolate cake, you max out your credit cards buying the latest and greatest tech gadgets, or you go on that all-night bender.

It’s totally natural to not want to feel shitty, and doing things that go against your better judgment may just help (You deserve it, right?); BUT

it’s temporary; a quick fix.

As I mentioned in my previous post (here), rarely can things or people “make you feel” a certain way. There’s no doubt that giving in to your impulses may help you feel better, at the moment. But, make no mistake, it won’t last. Without trying to sound cliche, “feeling good” is not a “destination” to get to, but really a “journey”. It’s a process that isn’t created by doing one thing. Lasting “happiness” and having a solid self-esteem, can take a lot of work. It’s learning to make changes in perception and practicing mindfulness of both “positive” and “negative” emotions.

Philadelphia DBT therapy is available.

If you’re struggling with difficult emotions, tend to act impulsively to feel better, and want to learn how to better cope, give me a call at 717-685-5074 or click here to schedule a free, 15-minute consultation for counseling. I specialize in the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder, trauma counseling, and therapy for anxiety. My virtual/telehealth practice provides therapy to Lebanon, Harrisburg, Lancaster, York, and Philadelphia.