Ah, the holidays are upon us once again. Not everybody shares in the celebration and joy associated with holidays though. Some people feel out-of-sync with the holiday crowd. Many report that the time between Halloween and Valentine's Day brings increased fatigue, stress, and the blues. The holiday blues can come from many reasons such as past events, grief, family and relationship issues, or many other concerns. If you have the holiday blues, the following tips may help lift your spirits.

• Relax and pamper yourself. It's important to treat yourself.
• Take a warm bath or curl up with a good book.
• Set limits and prioritize.
• Be realistic about what you can accomplish. Prepare a "to do" list to help you prioritize.
• Establish a budget and stick with it. Don't feel like you must spend a lot to show people you care.
• Engage in self-care. Don't slack on exercise, good nutrition, and sleep, and try to avoid consuming excess alcohol and sugars.
• Don't focus on how you think things should be. Try not to compare your traditions with others. You never know what stressors others are going through.
• Practice gratitude. A popular idea is to start a gratitude journal during the holidays. Write down 3 things you are grateful for every day. When you start to look at all the positive things around you your mood may shift as well.
• Volunteer your time. Volunteering can help raise your spirits by bringing hope to those less fortunate than you.
• Start new traditions. Create happy memories for the future by beginning new traditions.
• Don't use the holidays as an excuse. You could be experiencing Seasonal Effective Disorder or possibly another cause. If you notice these feelings occurring every year, make an appointment to see your doctor.

If these tips don't help with the anticipated blues of the holidays, contact your EAP. The EAP will help you tackle the blues you may be facing and help you devise a personal plan to cope.