COVID Holiday Survival Guide
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The holidays are here and, no matter how you choose to spend it this year, you’re probably going to experience a holiday like no other. Despite vaccines starting, we’re still in the thick of things and it seems like COVID is everywhere.
It also seems like depression is everywhere. I just read in the New York Times that depression rates have tripled since the start of the pandemic. It’s not a surprise per se but the numbers are staggering and probably under-reported, as we know far less folks seek help than those that actually experience symptoms.
We’re all struggling with something and are already exhausted from the rest of 2020. So, what can we do over the next few weeks to survive and be as healthy as we possibly can? I have a few tips.
First, as always, I encourage you to seek professional help if your symptoms are causing you to struggle with your functioning at work, home, or with friends and family. If you are thinking of hurting yourself or someone else, please seek emergency services. This is a very difficult time and we all need support.
Feel free to follow my specific tips below but the most important take-away is 1) finding things that will break up the monotony, 2) giving yourself something to focus on, and 3) getting some feel-good neurotransmitters going in the brain.
1. Make it as special as you can.
Decorate. Cook a special meal. Buy special pajamas. It doesn’t matter what you do, just make it special to you. A lot of us might feel tempted to just ignore the holiday and treat it like another day. That might work for you but I think you’re more likely to lift your mood if you do something fun, festive, or relaxing.
2. Find or create stuff to look forward to.
Related to the first, this is intentionally doing the things that you enjoy and probably finding new things since our social outlets have been so negatively impacted by COVID. We need to let off steam and for a lot of us that included seeing friends, concerts, sports games, or other social events. We have to replace that with new things that still keep us safe.
Again, the temptation might be to sit and focus on your worries or lose yourself in work but we all need fun, play, and relaxation. More so in quarantine than ever before.
3. Check in with your loved ones, even if it’s only virtually.
Hopefully we’re all playing it safe this year and limiting in-person visits but we can still make sure to check in with folks virtually. Make sure to focus on those who make you feel good, loved, and supported.
Also, it’s important to limit or eliminate time with anyone who makes you feel bad. This year is stressful enough and I don’t know about you but I don’t have the capacity for any extra nonsense. One silver lining of the pandemic is its the perfect excuse for not spending time with toxic folks.
4. Get outside and move.
GO FOR A WALK!! It doesn’t have to be long. I know it’s cold in most places but I don’t care. The benefits of fresh air, sunshine, and movement are too good to pass up. Layer up and you’ll be fine. It might take some adjusting but you’ll figure out what works for you.
I know I mention this one a lot but that’s just because it is so important. Our bodies were developed when we lived outside and moved most of the day. Now we’re stuck inside and most of us are sedentary. That’s why any kind of movement and outdoor time will be worth it for your overall sense of emotional stability and satisfaction.
5. Stay safe.
We all have to decide what level of travel and interaction with others feels right for us but the important thing is to follow basic risk mitigation and wear your mask and socially distance. The stress of getting sick or causing someone else to get sick is only going to damage your mental health and make any depression or anxiety symptoms worse.
6. Maintain perspective
Many of us have lost people that we love and cherish and that pain will not go away any time soon. We’re all sick of COVID and quarantine and it feels like it’ll never end. But the truth is the pain of 2020 will one day start to fade and things will change.
A good mantra to use when grief, sadness, or hopelessness sets in is “This too shall pass.” It helps us to remember that we won’t always hurt as acutely as we do right now even if we are going through hell to get there.
These holidays will be a sad time for us as a global community as we see friends, family, and community members fall ill and far too many die. Part of our job is to grieve and take care of ourselves and each other as we figure out how to move forward. You don’t have to struggle with depression on your own.
Leave a comment below about what you’ll do this year to make the best out of a horrible situation and care for yourself and the people you love during this time of pain and grief.
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