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Lacking the X-Mas Spirit

Handling depression during that time of year.

By Jennafer VieraPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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Los Angeles, CA

The twinkling lights, cold wind, and short days.

All signs representing that time of year.

Now normally, with all the hot chocolate and Christmas movies running on a never-ending cycle, the holiday spirit would have already hit and give a feeling of warmth and happiness. As for now, life still feels a little lack-luster even if those twinkling lights try to ignite something from within. Although you'd love to enjoy the festivities, you can't quite seem to feel as dazzled as everyone else might be. You might be thinking that it just hasn't hit you yet, but with each passing day, that feeling never really shows up.

At this time of year, feelings of apathy and a lack of hope become very present and leaves this heavy fog preventing any new feelings or thoughts to surface, so I've decided to share my method when coping with my depression:

1. Come clean.

What this means is that you should really assess the feelings you are either trying to hide or allow to dictate your life. Try to pinpoint exactly what they are. You don't need to get into detail about what each of them mean, just try and find out what they are causing you to do and see if there is a way to help ease that emotion to a lesser degree. It may take some time, but ultimately you're allowing yourself to get familiar with who you are and what makes you tick.

2. Find some time for yourself to just be alone.

Stay away from social media, try not to socialize, and maybe take the day off, but just one day. This may help try and get you into a good enough atmosphere to ease you through step one. It might be a little tough if you have family or roommates near you 24/7, so if you feel that it might be a little impossible to pull off then when you're able to, find some free time like grabbing lunch for yourself or going to a library, or just simply skip this step.

3. Talk about it.

No one ever really enjoys talking about their feelings because they get messy quick and in the end you feel drained, but it's something necessary if you really want to start feeling like you can live your life. It can be with people you trust or even a professional, as long as you start vocalizing that their maybe something missing from your life, then you can gain a sense of self and move onto the parts of your life you want to enjoy.

4. Try not to fall back into old habits.

When handling out of control emotions, people either will either lash out or crumble under the pressure. This can range from abusive and manipulative behavior to not getting out of bed. The first thing to do in this situation is to notice the signs that you're falling back in your old ways.

When it comes to abusive and manipulative behavior, figure out what your motive is for whatever action you are trying to accomplish. Try to stop and think if your actions are necessary to your situation. If you aren't thinking realistically, then you're not in a good state of mind. Try to calm yourself down or talk yourself out of exactly what you're doing if it's harming you or others. Recognize that what you're feeling in these moments are not definite. Emotions are fleeting and what you're going through now will soon pass.

With the less motivated situation, the same still applies. Staying in bed means you can stay away from reality and fall back asleep and dream, but again ask yourself is this necessary to your situation. Everything that you ask yourself should make you see the truth and recognize your reality. Once you see the truth and be honest with yourself, you can set realistic standards and be able to follow through.

Now that you're familiar with how to handle over-bearing emotions, get in the habit of following the steps. You can adjust them according to your life or if a doctor, friend, or family member recommends a better, healthier coping mechanism for you, go ahead and try it out. When it comes to your depression and your life, they are linked together, which means you need to find the best tools that can ease the flow of your life.

So, with the holidays coming up and the end of year rolling near, it's time to look at the parts of your life that limit you from enjoying each day. It's also time to accept who you are and everything you've endured and make a change for the better. Recognition is the first step, and as soon as you do that the things going on in your life will start coming together, as long as you still put in the effort.

coping
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About the Creator

Jennafer Viera

Here to share some of my passions and experiences with a few stories and even offer a few ways to handle life and all its ups and downs.

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