It’s 3:28am on a Tuesday morning. I have no good reason to be awake except that it’s a bit hot in my house and my brain is spinning.

Oh and “it’s the Holidays.” There’s that trite little phrase that we all reach for this time of year when everything seems to be out of order in our lives.

“It’s the Holidays.”

It’s that time of year when commitments on our social calendar go up and so do our financial crises. It’s also that time of year when Seasonal Affective Disorder is triggered by less daylight, the love-child of the winter solstice and the time change. Aww, thanks you two. So cute.

And, it’s also time to remember that most semi-depressed people don’t thrive in extroversion or stress.

Which is why I’m writing this post.

Hi.

Over the past few years, I’ve learned how to manage my own moments of depression. And I’ve done a pretty decent job. They’re fewer and farther between. High five!

But, I’ve recently been in a number of convos where others have shared similar sympathies about feeling down during the Holidays. And some of the things I’ve learned might help others as well. So if you find yourself walking on the “Holiday blues” side of life, this Survival Guide is for you. Merry Christmas.

Leave space on your dance card. This means make polite efforts to avoid spreading yourself too thin with social engagements. There’s an unspoken expectation for all of us to hang out with everyone we love during this time of year. And, yes, oh my gosh yes, I love hanging out with friends and family. I do I do I do. Which is why I see them year-round. We don’t have to see all of them all at once.

Keep little routines. A little predictability can go a long way in giving us a sense of stability. Hold on to your morning routine of coffee, blog-reading, and emailing. Or wind down an hour before bed with your favorite book and cup of tea. Or keep that workout schedule to regularly juice your brain with endorphins. Actually, that’s a necessity.

Breathe. Really. Try some yoga or some walking or some laying on your back and staring at the ceiling. Make moments where your brain is slowly inhaling and exhaling life, instead of the constant gasping for breath that can happen when we sprint.

Take your vitamins. Seriously. A daily dose of Vit B, D, and Fish Oil all help in making our brains happier and sharper. Oh, and while you’re at it, hold on to your normal diet. “Really, Mandy? Really??” Ok ok. I will admit that this is crazy difficult, but I’ll also admit that hyping ourselves on sugar for six straight weeks can wreck our inner balance. This is not about the waistline. This is about inner peace and harmony and oh my gosh who needs that much of a sugar high? When possible and polite, eat what you normally would. Your mind will thank you. Oh, and as an added bonus, don’t abuse caffeine either. I’m hearing rumors that too much can trigger some depression stuff. Not happy about this at all.

Accept that “it’s the Holidays.” There are some things we can’t change and we can’t fight, like the shorter days and winter solstice stuff I mentioned above. I also mentioned at that I’m writing this in the middle of the night. I guess you could say that I’m a little out of balance and my brain is doing its flip-flop again and I’ll probably have a “down day” at the end of this week. So I’ll expect a bit less of myself on that day. And I’ll take some of the measures I’ve listed above. See how that works? It’s the Holidays. And we can’t change that, now can we? BUT, we can tell ourselves that it won’t last forever.

Got any Holiday Survival Guide tips that you wanna add?