With the holiday festivities and extra time with loved ones behind us, it’s easy to feel a letdown as winter stretches on. As a result, it’s fairly common to feel sad, lonely and sluggish.
This can be true whether you enjoyed the holiday season or found it too stressful, Paul Nestadt, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Anxiety Disorders Clinic, told Health.
Older adults can be particularly susceptible to the post-holiday blues, according to Tina Boggs, owner of Seniors Helping Seniors in Buford. The holidays can trigger sad thoughts about lost loved ones or remind them about family traditions they may no longer be able to carry out, she said.
It’s important for loved ones and caregivers to watch for any signs of the post-holiday blues in their older relatives and clients. These can sometimes be difficult to differentiate from ordinary reactions to a difficult day or a hard week, Boggs said.
“Recognize what’s happening, and there’s definitely signs you might be having the holiday blues, like depression, lower levels of energy, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping,” she explained.
And for loved ones, she said, it’s important not to get wrapped up in patterns of the past and dismiss any potential signs of the blues as “Oh, mom’s just always been like that.” Loved ones should instead look at whether an older person is arguing with them more or if they’re very irritable.
“Say, ‘Mom, how are you doing? What’s going on? Talk to me,’” Boggs recommended. “Try to be more of a listener; really take time with them.”
In addition to affecting mental health, these feelings can also have a negative effect on an older person’s physical health.
“We believe if you’re emotionally happy, it helps you physically. If someone’s depressed or feeling withdrawn, they’re not going to be motivated to get up and do healthy things,” she said. Feeling blue can cause older people to stop eating as much, leaving them with less energy to take a walk or participate in recommended exercises, for example.
The following tips from Seniors Helping Seniors can help ward off or lessen the post-holiday blues:
● Stick to a routine
● Make sure you get the right amount of rest
● Build physical activity into your daily life
● Maintain a healthy diet
● Take up a new hobby
● Stay connected to the people in your life
Post-holiday blues are generally temporary, but when feelings progress, an older person might be at greater risk for developing depression, according to the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. This can lead to staying in bed and not bothering to get dressed in the morning, and even questioning the value of life and having thoughts of suicide.
Recognizing depression in older adults can be difficult, the organization said, because they may have trouble describing how they’re feeling. In addition, they grew up in a time period in which depression wasn’t understood to be a biological illness, so they may incorrectly view it as a character weakness.
An older person who may be depressed should see a medical professional for an exam that should include a complete physical, the association said.
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