New Year Blues

New Years Blues and how to overcome it

2022 is just around the corner but instead of feeling hopeful we find ourselves feeling sad and despair. Holiday blues is real, especailly in these pandemic times. The National Alliance on Mental Illness noted that 64% of individuals living with mental illness felt that their conditions worsened around the holidays. What could we do about it? Let's break it down to what might cause the blues:

• Losing loved one(s): if you lost someone dear to you this year -be it through separation or death, the new year/holidays might feel extra lonely and sad.

What to do?

Let the feelings come and stay there for a while. It is okay and normal to feel sad, your loved ones were (are) a big part of your life! Set up a specific time to think about them, celebrate their life, buy something simple that remind you of them, talk about them with others, it is all okay or even helpful to do. When this specific set time is over, shift your focus to your own growth and what you want to do in the coming year. Set an appointment in the future for another time to celebrate your loved ones’ life again.

• Financial pressure: there are some traditions that you should celebrate new year which could also be costly, and you just don’t have the budget for another gift giving.

What to do?

Learn to set boundaries within yourselves, because it is the most important thing before setting boundaries to others. Know what your needs are and what you can afford this time of year. If helping/giving means you are harming yourselves or neglecting your own needs, then it is best to say no. You can tell your family/friends this year you choose to do it differently, have different priorities, or propose a more budget friendly way to celebrate. If you are firm and happy with your decisions, then you dont need to worry about what others say, and you can face the new year more at peace. This is what matters (thumbs up).

• Disappointment of where you are: you might evaluate your last year resolutions and not happy with where you are at the moment.

What to do?

To reflect is a wonderful ability that human has. It is important for self growth if you can review on what you could do better, or make amends with people you do wrong. What is not productive is to give in to disappointments and think that you can never do better. Focus on preparing yourselves so that you are fast enough, smart enough, strong enough to catch opportunities when they arise (strong).