Do you ever feel as though you're shutting down?

[Susan in TN]

The time between my birthday (mid-Nov.) and New Years is always hard for me, and for some reason, it's been doubly so this year. Well, I guess there are additional circumstances this year. I'm trying to find all the ways I can cut back, but leaving out some things (esp. holiday related) makes me feel guilty :banghead: .

 

I just realized that I didn't have any tea this afternoon. I'll bet that's what's adding to the depression. (I know - I have a mild caffeine addiction. But when I've gone off caffeine for a few months, it hasn't improved things.)

 

Well, that's enough rambling for tonight.

[Ibbygirl]

The time between my birthday (mid-Nov.) and New Years is always hard for me, and for some reason, it's been doubly so this year. Well, I guess there are additional circumstances this year. I'm trying to find all the ways I can cut back, but leaving out some things (esp. holiday related) makes me feel guilty :banghead: .

 

I just realized that I didn't have any tea this afternoon. I'll bet that's what's adding to the depression. (I know - I have a mild caffeine addiction. But when I've gone off caffeine for a few months, it hasn't improved things.)

 

Well, that's enough rambling for tonight.

 

:grouphug::grouphug: I could have written much of your post. I've been having a case of the gloomies myself lately. I think I've just chocked it up to overwork and stress and too many things to do with not enough time to do them. I do love the holidays and I'm excited for my mom to come visit in 2 weeks, but I confess I've been guilty of trying to avoid social settings lately. I've just really had a desire to be left alone. :confused:

[unsinkable]

The time between my birthday (mid-Nov.) and New Years is always hard for me, and for some reason, it's been doubly so this year. Well, I guess there are additional circumstances this year. I'm trying to find all the ways I can cut back, but leaving out some things (esp. holiday related) makes me feel guilty :banghead: .

 

I just realized that I didn't have any tea this afternoon. I'll bet that's what's adding to the depression. (I know - I have a mild caffeine addiction. But when I've gone off caffeine for a few months, it hasn't improved things.)

 

Well, that's enough rambling for tonight.

 

It gets hard for me, too. I miss my parents so much. The years without them, as a teen and young adult, were so lonely and painful. I am so grateful for my DH & kids that I feel guilty for missing them.

 

It was so dark here yesterday that at 3:30 I thought the sun was going to set! I am sure that doesn't help.

 

Just do what you can. Don't feel guilty about what doesn't get done. :grouphug:

[....]

:grouphug: I absolutely can NOT stand the holiday season. And I'm not referring to the religious aspect of it. I start having anxiety about it in September. It is an extremely difficult time of year for a lot of people. The psych field has a bunch of statistics about depression during the holidays.

 

My strategy...just try to keep things simple. I go to church service a lot and spend a lot of time doing free things with the kids - looking at lights, walking around downtown with the tree/lights/music, etc. I also take mine to drive around and look at houses with lights - the 3 yro screams in excitement at some of the houses. lol. My 3 oldest kids are in Upwards Basketball right now and that's helping take a lot away from the holiday anxiety.

 

Drink lots and lots of coffee...:D December's halfway over.

[Susan in TN]

My strategy...just try to keep things simple. I go to church service a lot and spend a lot of time doing free things with the kids - looking at lights, walking around downtown with the tree/lights/music, etc. I also take mine to drive around and look at houses with lights - the 3 yro screams in excitement at some of the houses. lol. My 3 oldest kids are in Upwards Basketball right now and that's helping take a lot away from the holiday anxiety.

 

Drink lots and lots of coffee...:D December's halfway over.

 

You know, I do find that although my inclination right now is to avoid being around people, it usually helps at least temporarily. I'm trying to keep my church activities a priority as much as possible - I'm kind of on the "social outskirts" there, but the people are at the very least friendly and that helps. Of course, none of the church leaders or kids' teachers are getting Christmas gifts this year - that's one of the things I dropped (even though I bought all the ingredients. arg.)

Edited December 11, 2010 by Susan in TN

[mazakaal]

I know how you feel. I always get stressed at Christmas thinking about trying to afford gifts and special food, etc. This year I have the added stress of my mom coming to visit. I'm glad she's coming. We get along well. But this could be a very difficult time because it's her first Christmas without dad (he passed away in June). And add to that the fact that I'll need to find things to do to keep us all busy for a month. We'll be doing school for some days, but will have quite a bit of time off. We'll decorate the house, make Christmas cookies, and drive around to show her the new area where we live (she hasn't been to visit since we moved here in February). But we live in a bit of a black hole - there's not a lot to do around here, especially in the winter when the weather is bad, tourist traps are closed, and the sun sets at around 4:30.

[Colleen in NS]

The time between my birthday (mid-Nov.) and New Years is always hard for me, and for some reason, it's been doubly so this year. Well, I guess there are additional circumstances this year. I'm trying to find all the ways I can cut back, but leaving out some things (esp. holiday related) makes me feel guilty :banghead: .

 

I just realized that I didn't have any tea this afternoon. I'll bet that's what's adding to the depression. (I know - I have a mild caffeine addiction. But when I've gone off caffeine for a few months, it hasn't improved things.)

 

Well, that's enough rambling for tonight.

 

I've finally starting cluing in, during the past few years, that this is the time of year when days are getting shorter and shorter. Yesterday I sat on my couch at about 4 p.m., and the sun was sitting at the horizon already. It was gone by 4:30 p.m.. It helps just to remind myself of that each year around this time. We also simplify as is fit for our family. This year, we still don't have a Christmas tree up yet, whereas in the past everyone in my family was pushing for Dec. 1! We might do it tomorrow, or we might wait til next weekend, but no one is in a rush this year and it's a relief. I also avoid stores as much as possible during December - it's too nerve-wracking and guilt-inducing, lol! We usually cut out snowflakes in January, so that is a fun thing to look forward to, as well as digging into some new craft projects. I also keep in mind, that after Dec. 21, the sun shines for LONGER again, yay!!!!