The holidays are a magical time full of family, love, and parties. Unfortunately for moms with depression, this also translates into overwhelm and spiraling as the obligations feel like they’re piling on top of you. These tips for how to survive the holidays with depression can keep you from the fallout of the holiday chaos.

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Depression is hard to deal with even in the best of circumstances. Add in all of the pressure of the holidays and you push yourself too far. That leads to more bad days throughout the holiday and at the end of the season you are physically and emotionally exhausted.

Make a plan now to avoid the depression spiral later with these helpful tips and ideas. Your future self will thank you. P.S. Grab a free printable quick-reference guide here.

Plan Early

Planning early is two-fold. First, get activities in your calendar now for ways to recoup from holiday stress. Choose things that recharge you and, most importantly, MAKE them happen. Remember that these activities are just as vital as any other holiday obligation.

Second, decide early when events are happening and which ones you will attend. Don’t try to do it all and cram your calendar so full that you don’t have breathing room.

Note:

• It’s totally okay for hubs and the kiddos to go to some stuff without you and let you have a break. If you had the flu you wouldn’t be expected to go to that holiday party. This is the same thing.

Make a Budget

Financial guilt during and after the holidays affects people without depression greatly. Coupled with depression, the guilt can be crippling. Avoid that by making a budget and sticking to it. Don’t wrack up mountains of credit card debt trying to please everyone and do it all.

Need some tips on how to save money during the holidays? Check out Making a Plan for Your Holiday Spending!

Don’t Miss Out on Sleep

If parties and family gatherings interrupt your sleep schedule during the holiday season, schedule in time for naps and days to sleep in. Work it out with your husband to get up with the kids on his days off so you can catch some extra zzz’s. Load the kids up in bed with you with a movie and make it a family nap time to get that blissful rest your body needs.

Soak Up Sunshine

Resist the urge to hunker down this winter. Take advantage of activities that get you out of the house and in the sunshine when it’s available. This can be as simple as taking a walk through your neighborhood or building a snowman with your kids. Simply find things that will get you soaking up that happy light as often as you can.

No Guilty No’s

Let Go of the Guilt of Saying No. Everyone’s party, cookie exchange, caroling excursion is important to them, but you have to put yourself first. Don’t feel pressured to do everything. If helping out at the school party is important to you, maybe skip Karen’s cookie baking party this year.

If your extended family or in-laws have multiple holiday gatherings, talk to them about which one is most important to them. Let them know that you cannot make each one but will attend the gathering that is most important to them. This is a great way to cut down on obligations without hurting feelings.

Enlist Help

Yes, supermom, you can totally make the food, buy and wrap the presents, and loving write and address 50 holiday cards but you don’t have to do it alone. Enlist the help of your spouse and kiddos to make the process easier. Work it out with other moms to take turns carpooling kids to practices so you can catch a breather.

Let Go of Perfection

I am very guilty of building grandiose ideas in my head of the perfect holiday with my family. Then, when it doesn’t work out that way I struggle to cope. Temper your expectations and don’t try to plan the “perfect” holiday. Enjoy the time with your family and don’t get too bogged down in details or a unrealistic time-line you’ve made in your mind.

You don’t need the perfect gift, perfect decorations, or the perfect Hallmark Christmas experience. When you find yourself getting bogged down in this self-imposed pressure, remember that all your friends and family really want is a happy and healthy momma. The greatest thing you can do is take a deep breath and think about what the season is truly about: love and gratitude.

 

The holidays are meant to be enjoyed. Don’t let depression hold you back from that. Keep these tools for how to survive the holidays with depression handy and enjoy your best holiday season ever. Want even more awesome holiday survival guides? Check out all of the ideas from my friends below!

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The holidays are exhausting, especially for someone who already suffers from depression. Afterward, even those without any mental illness can suffer from depression and anxiety. If you’re feeling depleted right now find out how to stop being depressed after the holidays.

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Guard your time, recharge yourself, and start recuperating from the holiday stress with these tips for how to stop being depressed after the holidays. Click To Tweet

I always look forward to the holiday season. After they end, I am beyond depleted and stretch thin. I basically feel like hibernating. Since that’s not an option when you’re a stay-at-home mom I’ve found other ways to cope.

Growing up, we lost my grandma when I was about 10. After that, we pretty much stopped getting together for the holidays. This meant 1 Christmas, at home, with my immediate family and occasionally some friends. This meant that I didn’t realize how big of a toll the holidays could take on me until I got married.

Suddenly I went from 1 low-key Christmas to 5+ celebrations over the course of a week. Afterward I would spiral so badly that I literally would cry in a corner rocking back and forth. It took a few years before I even recognized the correlation and another 2+ to figure out how to manage it. Now I’m sharing how to stop being depressed after the holidays with you in hopes that you don’t wind up sobbing in a corner too.

Please keep in mind that I am not a medical or psychology expert. I’ve simply spent years dealing with depression and learned some tricks along the way.

Why You Feel Depressed After the Holidays

Most research boils down to the fact that you are over-extended during the holidays. “During the holidays, there is an increase in the number of activities, tasks, and social events that people must manage.” (Forbes) The demands on your time, energy, and finances takes a toll on your well-being. When you finally get a break after the holidays, you’re beyond depleted.

Think of your body like an engine running hot. If you keep it running full-speed you run the risk of blowing the engine. The same thing goes for you. If you keep pushing yourself too hard, for too long, you end up blowing yourself up.

This feeling is further complicated if you spent more than you meant to over the holidays, added a few extra pounds, or don’t get along with family members. Now, in addition to being totally depleted, you are also packing guilt, remorse, and bitterness that you can’t process effectively in your current state. Ugh.

Be Like Oprah with Your No’s

There are so many things that we feel like we have to say, “Yes” to over the holidays that it is exhausting. After the holidays are over, it’s time to be like Oprah with your no’s. You get a no, you get a no, everybody gets a no. For at least the first week, if not longer, don’t feel bad about taking time for yourself. You’ve pushed yourself past the brink in the last month. If you continue at that pace it is going to end with you spiraling down in a hurry.

If a friend wants to catch up over coffee after the holidays, let her know that you’re recharging and ask to schedule it in a few weeks instead. Ask hubs if he’ll handle the kids’ after school activities for a week. Tell your mom you can’t talk to her on the phone for an hour. Whatever it is that you need a break from, speak up.

It took me a lot of years to get to a point where I am open and honest about my needs, especially after the holidays. We shuffle around to so many different gatherings, there are presents to be bought and wrapped, you are talking/visiting with a lot of different people… it definitely takes its toll. I let family and friends know that I’m going to be more difficult to get in touch with for the first week or so after the holidays. Admittedly, a lot of people don’t understand it because they don’t suffer from depression as I do. However, I know my own mental health needs and they can deal with it.

How to Recharge Yourself

There are a myriad of ways to recharge yourself after the holidays. It depends on the individual what works best. I, for instance, really need a total break from family and friends. I push myself so hard to be perfect for everyone and it’s exhausting. After the holidays are over, I need to return home and simply stay there for a few days.

A lot of recharging yourself takes knowing you really well and some trial and error. If you need help with ideas on how to recharge, don’t worry. I have you covered:

Oprah No’s

I know that we covered this above but it’s that important. Stop feeling obligated, especially after the holidays, to say yes to things you don’t have the energy to do, don’t enjoy, or that stress you out.

Enjoy the sunlight when you can

The winter means less sunlight which can also affect your mood. When the sun is out, try to enjoy it. This could mean going for a walk or simply reading by a bright window. Again, choose what’s best for you.

Try out one of your new gifts

We are so busy as moms during the holidays that chances are you haven’t even tried out your gifts yet (except for that rad disappearing TARDIS mug that held your coffee this morning). Take a day or even a few hours to bust one open and enjoy it.

Get some extra sleep

Another thing that helps after overextending yourself is to get some extra sleep. Try taking a mini-nap during the day or go to sleep when the kids do a couple of nights. I promise, this is the best way to let your body heal and recuperate.

Read

Getting lost in another world is another excellent way to recharge. Read a new book or reread one of your faves. Time spent reading is never wasted.

Side Note:

I finally got the last 2 books in the Autumn series so I have restarted it from the beginning to read it all the way through. If you like zombies and survival you should totally check them out.

Exercise

As someone who hates exercise that doesn’t seem to serve a purpose (ie: walking just to walk instead of walking around an amusement park all day), I totally get any aversion to this one. However, exercise is a fantastic, healthy way to boost serotonin and leave you feeling better. Force yourself to get up and moving, even if it’s just to dance around the house, and you will feel better for it.

If you find yourself truly spiraling after the holidays and have any thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255 . If you hate talking on the phone, you can also text now. Text CONNECT to 741741 in the U.S. or 686868 in Canada.

Guard your time, recharge your mind and body, and start recuperating from the holiday stress with these tips for how to stop being depressed after the holidays. Don’t forget to keep those Oprah No’s in your back pocket. Pull them out for everything that doesn’t help you feel better this time of year. What other ways do you recharge after the holidays? Share your tips and tricks with us in the comments!

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More Ideas You’ll Love:

• Why All Moms Need a Journal
• How to Create a Daily Self Care Routine
• Tips for Dealing With Depression from Someone Dealing with It
• 32 Self Care Activities to Prevent the Holiday Blues – Pretty Crafty and Wanderful