Have the Winter or Holiday Blues? Tips for Taking Care of Yourself

During the holiday season it can be a hard time of year for many. For those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression, the decrease in natural sunlight can negatively impact their mood. People with other forms of depression may also find the winter months difficult. And older adults and others who are far from their families may feel lonely or isolated. Find tips to help people with depression or anxiety and seniors and their caregivers handle holiday depression. Please read this article to learn more.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers tips about taking care of yourself when you have a mental illness, including eating healthy meals and getting plenty of exercise. Having a support system of friends and family members can also help ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Learn how to talk with a loved one if you believe they might be depressed. Take a free, confidential mental health screening online or find a depression screening program near you.

To find mental health treatment options in your area, use the Mental Health Treatment Locator. 

If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis and need to talk to someone right away, 

please call 1-844-493-TALK (8255).

# originally published 12/23/2015, at time of repost all links up to date.

How to get stuff done when you are depressed | Jessica Gimeno | TEDxPilsenWomen

YouTube Published by TEDx Talks on Nov 16, 2015

Did you know the World Health Organization says depression will be the second greatest disability in the world by 2020 (second only to blindness)? Depression makes it hard for millions of people to finish school or hold down a job. In fact, depression is the number one disability among Americans ages 15 to 24. Jessica Gimeno lives with bipolar disorder and has worked in mental health nonprofit for years. Now, she wants to expand the discourse beyond receiving a diagnosis into helping people with chronic depression develop the life-skills they need to be productive. In this talk, you will find hacks to get stuff done and connect to a remarkable individual who despite a mental illness is getting more things done than the average person.

Jessica is a warrior who fights five illnesses daily: bipolar II, polycystic ovarian syndrome, asthma, psoriasis, and the neuromuscular autoimmune disease Myasthenia Gravis (MG). Jessica Gimeno was valedictorian of her class, women more than 20 speech competitions.

Motivated by a friend’s suicide, she spoke to hundreds of students about stigma and helped thirty students get psychiatric help. In her free time, Jessica is a diehard New Kids on the Block fan who enjoys Pilates, painting, and playing with her nieces and nephews.

Jessica Gimeno teaches us that although mental illness is hard it does not have to leave you unable to do things. She believes in providing others challenged with mental illness to lead fulfilling lives. In this talk she shares with you how to get stuff done when you are depressed.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

For more from our colleague, and friend Jessica Gimeno follow on Twitter @JessicaGimeno