Prince George, B.C. – The  seasonal wishes  of  “Merry Christmas” and  “Happy Holidays” may be  heartfelt,   but for those on the receiving end of those  wishes,  this time of the year can be anything but ‘Merry’ or ‘Happy’.

This time of  year  can see  people  suffer increased bouts of depression  for a variety of reasons says Maureen Davis, Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Prince George Branch. “Certainly one of the reasons is our own personal expectations and the things we set on our selves, kind of the ‘head talk’ within our brains” says Davis.  “This is the time of year we expect, or hope for, the best family times, and they may not pan out.   It can be the time that highlights some of the issues or problems or losses in our lives, the people who aren’t with us anymore, financial problems, decisions and choices that we are faced with.”

Davis says  we would all be wise to  focus on the positives in our lives, instead of dwelling on  the negatives “This is the time to set realistic expectations  for ourselves.” She says instead of  feeling guilty about not  being able to give children  all the gifts they want,   feel good about  what  have.

She offers a few tips to help get through the season:

• Maintain positive thoughts.
• Set yourself a budget and don’t go over it
• Stay connected to the people who give you joy in your life
• Celebrate and think about the good things shared with people who are no longer with us
• Everything in moderation, including alcohol, food, or anything else.

“Try and maintain some of your usual  schedules during the time period  so you are taking  good care of your body, including  exercising enough, sleeping enough, just generally treating yourself well”  says Davis.

And of course,  if the issues are  becoming overwhelming,  Davis urges  people  to reach out  “Maintain your connections  with friends and family or reach out and build some if you  don’t already have supports in your life, or for whatever reason people are out  of town at Christmas.  Reach out,  it could be someone in your church, if you are employed it  could  be an employee assistance program,  reach out  and talk.  Depression, anxiety, these are normal emotional reactions to be having around Christmas time,  and  it’s very, very important to reach out and get help.”