​What to Do about the Holiday Blues?
 
Cheerful holiday commercials and the movies shown from November through January depict unbroken families with expensive, in beautifully-decorated homes. No rent due, no health problems, no cranky uncles or unappreciative grandchildren. Reality can be very different, and the "holiday blues" may make some feel sad, anxious and over-stressed.
 
Some of the causes of holiday blues are:

• Loneliness and missing departed loved ones.
• Stress of large family gatherings and travel
• Shopping and trying to please everyone
• Overspending

 
Some of the symptoms to watch for:

• Feelings of guilt and worthlessness
• Difficulty concentrating or paying attention

• Changes in appetite or weight
• Changes in sleep patterns

 
What can be done about holiday blues?

• Acknowledge feelings of grief and loss
• Spend time with good listeners, friends or professional

• Eat healthy meals, cut back on alcohol, get some fresh air 
• Try to maintain a regular sleep pattern
• Start a journal of feelings
• Set a gift budget and keep to it
• Skip gatherings that cause stress
• Try something different, a new hobby or interest group

 
The "holiday blues" can lead to greater depression, so there is no shame in talking to a professional or medical caregiver, even if symptoms seem mild now. Isolation contributes to seasonal depression, so seek out a friend, a group, or a free community activity that will keep you in touch with others during the holiday season.
 
Prairie Homestead
yvonne@prairiehomestead.org
prairiehomestead.org
1605 W. May Street
Wichita KS 67213
(316) 263-8264

​Little Holiday Celebrations
 
Whether you sit down at an abundant table together with all of your family or not this season, the winter months are a wonderful time to be thankful and to share things with others. 
 
No matter what your circumstances, there are simple activities that you can do to make the holiday season special.
 

• Write a letter of gratitude. Even a short note written earnestly can light up the life of a hard-working helper or a new neighbor. If you can't be with a beloved cousin this holiday, send them a cheerful postcard to let them know that you remember times shared.
• Make place cards. Whether you're eating with a large family, with one loved one, or with a table of fellow residents, you can make your table setting special. Place cards don't have to be fancy-- seasonal stickers can be applied to simple folded notecards, or old greeting cards can be personalized. 
• Go somewhere to enjoy beauty. A short walk or drive could take you somewhere that the beautiful colors of autumn or the first snowflakes will delight. Homes and businesses are often decorated for holidays, so look around to see if you can find pumpkins, lights, or a parade of snowmen.
• Watch a holiday special on television. You don't have to stand in the cold to see the beautiful floats in a televised parade or an ice show. These days, holiday entertainment is provided for months, with singers, dancers and celebrities. Best way to watch: with a friend!
• Have a Friendsgiving. If you are hosting a family holiday meal or attending one at some relative's home, you can choose another day during the holidays to have a special "Friendsgiving." Provide simple snacks, have a potluck, or just gather around warm cups of coffee to remind each other than you are thankful for those special people who feel just like family.

 
Prairie Homestead
yvonne@prairiehomestead.org
prairiehomestead.org
1605 W. May Street
Wichita KS 67213
(316) 263-8264
 

​What Was So Great About the Good Old Days?
 
Not all of the past was golden, that's for sure. Poverty, wars, racial injustice, epidemics: there are many things that were not better in the so-called Good Old Days. But the old-time pleasures are still great to look back on and recall. Sharing memories of good times past with others can make new memories and pass along important values.
 

• TV was great

There have always been plenty of failures on television, but who can forget such gems as "I Love Lucy" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show," as well as "Good Times" and "Mission: Impossible"? In half an hour, a family could learn to trust each other, a crabby neighbor could be softened or an important mission could be accomplished with minimal bloodshed. Language in almost every show was safe for young and old to hear and repeat.
 

• Cars were great

Get a group of citizens over 65 together and sooner or later, the topic will turn to the cars they loved or hated. Who doesn't have a story about a "lemon" or the car they learned to drive in or a beauty that they restored by hand? Car safety and function may be improving all the time, but nothing can be better than those beautiful old designs.
 

• People we loved were still around

A great way to honor those who have passed before is to talk about them. One philosophy is that people never die as long as they are remembered. Sure, Uncle Fred might have seemed grumpy or Grandmother might have had many health problems, but sharing their stories is a great way to keep them alive.
 

• Everything felt better

Of course it didn't, but as aging and mobility issues become more prominent in lives of elders, the past starts to feel like a time of no pain or worries. Roller-skating is recalled without the hurt of the skinned knees. A child is a joy, never mind about child-bearing. Even losses and heartaches soften over time, and reflection can lead to a new, peaceful view of past times.
 
But while remembering things from the past that were loved and fun, it can be important to look around at the present, appreciating advances in medicine and convenience, enjoying technology and advancing ideas, and valuing what has been made much better, so that each day can be one of the "Good New Days."
 
Prairie Homestead
yvonne@prairiehomestead.org
prairiehomestead.org
1605 W. May Street
Wichita KS 67213
(316) 263-8264