I don’t know about you, but the Christmas season is exciting AND frustrating. It’s exciting to spend time with people I don’t see very often. I take paid time off from work, which allows me more time in my day to do things I like to do like take my dog to the dog park when the sun is out, going to a workout class in the middle of the day, and staying up late to finish that movie I’ve been really wanting to see.
And it’s frustrating. The lack of structure in my day makes it hard to find motivation for things I should do like go grocery shopping, clean my apartment, and maintain personal hygiene. In addition to this, since many of my friends travel for the holidays, I often have less opportunities for quality social time. Add into the mix that the weather outside is frightful and it gets dark by 5pm in the midwest, you have a recipe for disaster.
Given that this an annual experience, I am intentionally being proactive on how to navigate this season in between using these strategies:
Move My Body:
This is such a simple task YET it’s often the last thing I want to do. Something that has worked for me in the past is to give myself small attainable goals. For example, I start with taking 250 steps every hour. Once that small goal has been met for 2 or 3 days, I increase my goal to walking around my apartment for the length of my favorite song. Once that goal has been met, I then extend that to taking a walk outside.
Phone a Friend:
When it’s cold outside, it can be physically difficult to see others, which leads to less quality time. Thank God for the invention of cellular devices! While calling someone is preferrable, I prefer texting. Something I am trying this year is to have contact with one friend a day, this may look like a “Hello!” text, a link to a TikTok I found funny, or a voice memo.
Read God’s Word:
I purposely put this one towards the bottom of the list because, frankly, it’s usually the 3rd thing I do. Something I am trying this year is writing 3 or 4 short verses on a flash card and reading out loud to myself once a day. Some verses that I found helpful are: Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 147:3, and Philippians 4:4. Another goal I have is to say the Lord’s Prayer once a day; in times when I find it hard to articulate to God how I’m feeling, the precious words of Jesus’ prayer are perfect.
Make a Plan:
I learned this past year that I thrive when I have something to look forward to. This past year, I had two goals: Attend 12 concerts and read 52 books; both of which I met! For my concert goal, I purposely planned concerts months in advance to give myself something to look forward to. Another idea I am doing is trying to take one PTO day a month next year, especially for months without holidays.
Give Yourself Grace:
As much as I try to be proactive, the seasonal depression comes every year. There will be good days. There will be hard days. Remind yourself that you’ve made it this far and tomorrow is only a few hours away. Always keep going. Always be moving forward.
Where do you start? You start small! Get connected with a community For example, LUTHERWOMAN recently introduced discussion groups. Name one or two safe people who you are comfortable opening up to when even the smallest goals seem impossible. Remember this truth, my sweet sister: Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again from the grave for you. New life is only found through Him and He has given us so many gifts to help navigate difficult seasons. My prayer is that one of these tips helps you during this season in between.
Mental Health Resources:
Suicide and Crisis Life Line: Text or Call 988: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741: Crisis Text Line is there for any crisis. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds from their secure online platform. The volunteer Crisis Counselor will help you move from a “hot moment” to a “cool moment.”
