BEATING THE FESTIVE BLUES

Break from social media, self-reflection and focus on spirituality among ways to cope

- Joyce Teo

For more people than you might think, the year-end holiday season of feasting and parties is a time to dread.

While others are celebrating with friends and family, they may be scrolling through their social media feed, feeling excluded and envying their peers at Christmas and New Year parties.

Some, on the other hand, may hate having to come out of their shells to attend social gatherings, finding these events to be excruciating.

People who have lost loved ones may feel especially sad during the holidays. And those who have moved from other countries for school or work may long for their families far away.

Experts say the holiday blues—a common phenomenon that describes transient feelings of sadness, anxiety or loneliness during the festive seasons—are very real for some.

A 2021 survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness in the US found that three in five Americans feel their mental health is negatively impacted by the holidays.

The blues can be triggered by societal pressures, grief or unrealistic expectations about the holidays.

While it is normal for many people to experience those emotions, for some, they could result in an unceasing sense of emptiness or hopelessness, or feelings of being overwhelmed.

They may sleep poorly or find it hard to get up in the mornings, and suffer from a persistent low mood.

The most vulnerable groups could be socially isolated seniors and those suffering from depression and anxiety, though anyone of any age can be affected.

In more northerly latitudes, some people become depressed when winter sets in and the nights lengthen.

Seasonal affective disorder—a type of depression that occurs in certain seasons—is thought to be caused by a lack of sunlight setting off chemical changes in the brain, leading to symptoms of depression.