Coming off a long weekend of overdue quality family time, I had yet another realization of just how quickly time passes. With my parents and in-laws in retirement, I can feel the autumn breeze blowing from just up around the bend. Time waits for no one. I was lucky to get one more holiday with everyone I love, even if it was just a phone call. Others weren’t.

Before you think I’m going to get all depressing here, let me just say that I know the holidays, which are sitting directly upon us, can be very emotional for many reasons. Missing loved ones, facing fears of illness or unemployment, and numerous other physical and psychological factors play into how we handle the holidays. Even the most joyous of revelers (aka; the annoyingly cheerful) can find themselves in a slump as the stresses of a “perfect” season become too much to bear.

So here, I am going to offer some sure fire ways for you to valiantly defend yourself against those creeper depressions that can come up on you like a San Francisco fog .

1.) Worrying – “What if nothing exists and we’re all in somebody’s dream? Or what’s worse, what if only that fat guy in the third row exists?” We all know that Woody Allen is an infamous neurotic. He is the poster boy for worrying. If you are prone to letting your thoughts be dragged into places that make you wonder if maybe you are related to Mr. Allen, here is a great way to nip it in the bud before you start noticing that your family is avoiding you and your negative energy. Write it down. take it out of your head. Now, you can forget all about it, and come back to it when you have time after the holidays. (If you really want to, but I’ll bet you won’t.) Aside from freeing brain space, writing down your worries will very often give you a better look at what they are, and many times you will find a solution, or realize it isn’t as bad as you thought.

Depression (mild) – I say “mild” depression because most of us find ourselves feeling down at some point between the tryptophan on Turkey Day and the New Years ball dropping. It is inevitable that you will come across a hallmark movie about a single parent who gets hit by a bus, leaving her children orphans for the holidays. Or maybe you are more like me and choke up watching the Budweiser Clydesdales marching through the Christmas snow. In these instances when you find yourself heavy of heart and know you should be feeling grateful instead, my advice for this is music. Get out the ipod, or your clock radio if that’s all you have. just find a good song. Then find another. Make sure you have quick access to some tunes for a quick pick me up that will put you back in celebration mode. Of course I am not a doctor, so please, if your symptoms exceed the above description, for God’s sake go get some help!

Insecurity – Have you ever looked around at your life, wishing, praying, and pretending it to be a Norman Rockwell Painting, when in reality it more closely resembles The Connor family from the classic sitcom Roseanne? Shhh….come here. I have a secret. The Norman Rockwell Life doesn’t exsist. I saw a post today from my friend and she said (to paraphrase) that it is useless and wasteful to compare yourself to others. You have no idea what their journey is like for them. I can’t count how many old friends I used to feel inadequate standing next to, only to find out later that they had troubles I never imagined, and ended up feeling sorry for them instead. Now I just remind myself daily that we are all here on a journey, and they are different. Some better, some worse, but we are all just human beings. Everyone Poops

Seriously, though. There are many ways you can beat the blues this season, and I haven’t even skimmed the surface here. One other recomendation is an obvious one, but I don’t think all of us are always conscious of it. Make sure to connect with your friends and family that you enjoy spending time with. Call that old friend you haven’t seen since Labor Day and get together for coffee. keep it light, though. No commisserating. Misery loves company, but they always bring baggage. Laughter releases endorphins, boosts the immune systems, and generally makes you a better looking person. Ok that last one I made up.

The last thing I can recommend to you to ensure you have a wonderful holiday filled with gratitude, great memories, and a legacy to pass on, is to get out of your own life and take part of some one else’s.

Volunteer- Never has the need been greater for us to reach out and connect with each other. The world can be very big and scary, and our families and lives can be draining. When you take the initiative to go out and help others, you can just stop thinking about “you”. Because after all, it’s not about “you”, now, is it? Below is a list of some volunteer ideas for you. If you have another Idea, great! Share it here. I invite you to let everyone know, right here, right now (or as soon as you figure it out) what it is that you are going to do to help another life this season. I myself am just coming up with this as I write, so I will also be posting my volunteer plans to all. Be accountable, be proud, but most of all, be blessed and happy this Holiday Season.

Places to help

Food Bank
Homeless Shelter
SPCA
Hospice
Hospital
Need More Ideas?
Visit SmartVolunteers.org