Tips to prevent holiday stress and depression

The festive period is meant to be a time for getting together, enjoying each other's company, exchanging presents, and having a good time. Unfortunately, this time of year can also be the most stressful for all manner of reasons. Mental health issues at Christmas affect more of us than you might think. A survey from YouGov found that a quarter of people say that Christmas makes their mental health worse, while a survey from the Mental Health Foundation found that 54% of people were worried about the mental health of someone they know at Christmas.

Here are some tips to help you:

• Acknowledge your feelings. It's OK to take time to cry or express your feelings. You can't force yourself to be happy just because it's the holiday season.
  
• Be realistic. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well.
  
• Set aside differences. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are they're feeling the effects of holiday stress and depression, too.
  
• Stick to a budget. Before you do your gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend. Then stick to your budget.
  
• Plan ahead. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list.
  
• Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed.
  
• Don't abandon healthy habits. Don't let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Get plenty of sleep.
  
• Seek professional help if you need it. If you find yourself feeling persistently sad or anxious, plagued by physical complaints, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless and these feelings last for a while, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.
  

Stress can affect us in a variety of different ways including nausea, lack of sleep, weight loss and not being able to think clearly. Sometimes you don't even realise you're stressed until you suddenly can't cope. Regular exercise can help to decrease tension and boost and stabilize mood. Furthermore, exercising produces endorphins — natural painkilling chemicals that are released in the brain — that improve your ability to sleep and reduce stress.