Health & Fitness
Happy Holidays or Holi-daze?
Check in with Friends, Relatives and Neighbors at this Time of Year
Known as a season of merriment and fun, for many of our friends and family it is a very stressful and depressing time sending some to try self-medication in order to cope.
Try supporting friends and family with these tips for a healthy holiday: Connect with others to learn their ‘triggers’ and be available to help distract when the ‘blues’ hit.
Plan an Activity
Offer to go walking, to the gym or accompany friends/family on shopping trips. Try to make this time pleasant.
Look for the light
Work to help see the good in every day and share optimism when you speak. You never know who might be listening.
Find Gratitude
Experiencing the ‘blues’ makes it difficult to remember to be grateful. It is hard to be grateful for the basics when you see happy, fun pictures abounding on social media. Remember that people post the BEST of themselves and that here in America people are most grateful for their friends followed by family and health. So, one of the best ways to support someone during a breakout of the blues is to just be a friend. Be THERE.
Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year.
Get Help
Encourage friends and family to seek help when the ‘blues’ just will not go away. Here in Wayne we are actively fighting the stigma of mental illness, which can range from basic anxiety and depression to bipolar disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific phobias. Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year. (According to: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml)
According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are many additional ways to deal with the holiday blues. Please share these tips so that friends and family may enjoy a pleasant season. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4388-stress-managing-holiday-stress/management-and-treatment
See Passaic County Resources at: http://www.waynetownship.com/wayne-alliance-documents.html?task=document.viewdoc&id=4369
