Your Brain on the Holidays. . .

This is your brain during the Holidays. . . 

There's a lot to think about during the holiday season: Visiting family, making time for friends, and (hopefully) eating lots of home cooking. But if you've ever stopped to wonder what happens to your brain during the holiday season, you're not alone! Researchers are fascinated with this very subject, and in fact, are trying to figure out what exactly goes down in our brains while we're trading time between wrapping presents and napping on our grandparent's couch.   

Some researchers believe that not only do our brains actually change over the holidays, but they know what culprit is: Nostalgia. Essentially, nostalgia is a bitter-sweet love for what is gone, and a longing to return the past. And when you go home for the holidays, this isn't the typical nostalgia you feel when you listen to '90s boy bands on your way to work or watch Nick at Nite before passing out. In fact, therapists say you should basically "expect to regress" during the holiday season. Between rewatching your favorite movies, smelling your old house, and sleeping in your childhood bedroom, the holidays are pretty much nostalgia on steroids.

Who doesn't look forward to going home over the holidays? While "home" means different things to different people, I think we can all relate to the notion that when we're celebrating the holidays with our loved ones, something in us changes. Some of us spend the final week or two of the semester ends counting days off until our parents pick us up from our dorm for winter break, while others bide time at our desks, ticking days off the calendar until we close up shop until after the New Year. Whether we can't wait for a bear hug, or we're actually looking forward to retreating to our childhood beds and sleeping for three days straight, research suggests some serious stuff changes in our brains during the holidays. Here are some examples:

1. You want to eat ALL the food. 

2. You want to buy ALL the things. 

3. You DON'T want to get out of bed. 

Not everyone enjoys the holidays, and for some people, it can trigger serious mental battles with depression and anxiety. Between four and 20 percent of people have a form of Seasonal Affective Disorder (otherwise known as SAD), which is a depression that generally sets in during early winter, and fades by spring or early summer. Even people who are not diagnosed with SAD, specifically, may still experience depression and anxiety over the holidays. Ray Williams, for example, at Psychology Today, postulates that people's desire for "perfection" can become crippling. He also suggests that people compare themselves to others too often during the holiday season, in regards to what someone can afford for presents, or where someone travels for vacation. Carolyn Gregoire at The Huffington Post suggests that people "trying to do too much" can get bogged down during the holidays and advises people to focus on "self-care" during these busy holiday months.

So if you were wondering why your brain is acting a'lot differently, tis the season! this too shall pass. Just keep in mind that self-care, budgeting and taking some time for reflection and gratitude when you can is important. Make sure you're making time for the important stuff and making room in your mental closet to hold all your baggage because I personally know how heavy it can become when we don't take time-outs for ourselves. 

be easy, and most of all love yourself and one another! 

-A

Seasonal Depression (SAD) signs and symptoms.

A mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year.

Seasonal affective disorder occurs in climates where there is less sunlight at certain times of the year 

Signs How can you tell if you have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) 

…    How do you know if you have seasonal affective Disorder?    In most cases, seasonal affective disorder symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. Less commonly, people with the opposite pattern have symptoms that begin in spring or summer. In either case, symptoms may start out mild and become more severe as the season progresses  here are some of the signs and symptoms: 1.Feeling listless, sad or down most of the day, nearly  everyday. 2.Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed. 3. Having low energy and feeling sluggish. 4. Having problems with sleeping too much. 5. Experiencing carbohydrate craving, overeating and weight gain. 6. Having difficulty concentrating. 7. Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty. 8. Having suicidal thoughts that last longer than a day at a time and are continuous with a plan.   When to seek Profesional Help   I know that seeking help can feel scary trust me, I do I personally have had a long road to walk with my own mental health, but just to let you in on a littlle secret seeing someone for help doesn't make you look weak or scared it actually shows strength and shows that you are more resilient then you even knew yourself, so if that's the scary part for you please know that you do have it in you and you are more then capable of seeing someone professionally licensed in the mental health field who will help guide you out of the woods and back into the person you're used to knowing, and of course loving! because I know it's hard to love yourself right now when you're this low and no one will make you do anything you're uncomfortable with  these people will work at your pace for your recovery and most of all they're really great people who most of the time have had their fare share of trauma and mental health to help guide them in helping you. So what I'm saying is it's never too late to start fresh maybe you've gained a few pounds, gotten a new shopping addiction, or even just something small as the store doesn't have what you needed in stock for your Christmas dinner whatever it is that's causing you stress make it a priority  this New Year to start different start anew! and remember to love yourself first before  we can love anyone we have to truly love ourselves and loving ourselves comes with taking care of our bodies and our mental states so go get a check up with your PCP make sure everythings working riht and if you need it, go talk with a professional licensed therapist who can help you greatly with everything going on from your day to day stuff to your much more personal stuff, join a support grup or start volunteering whatever your heart desires and your soul is leading you towards, please act on it! because as bogus as this sounds you really ONLY LIVE ONCE!!  so live this life to the fullest extent for me, for you for the future, for the universal strength that pulls us all together live my child live - you deserve it.     Now go give it a gooo! and remember you are loved and cherished and most of all this world needs you in it!!!! XO, A