Ah, the post-holiday blues! We've all seen them, if not in others than in ourselves. Why do they happen? How do they actually make a lot of sense? This blog shares a way to explain this phenomenon that can actually help people understand their increased depression after the holidays in a way that lessens their potential guilt for having the blues.
As I write this, I am wrapping up end of year tasks (this is one of the last must-dos) and looking forward to 2022. I think it is going to look much different than any of us expected. I know for myself, I thought, perhaps naively, that we would be past some of the COVID challenges. I was hopeful at this time last year that we would be back to some normalcy. While things are different than a year ago, we still have a long way to go in managing life as COVID continues to bring more challenges and new variants.
This past December 7th marked the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. As a young psychologist, just out of internship in the Navy, I visited the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. This was before September 11, 2001 and I was hopeful that we were facing an extended period of peace in our country. Before entering the USS Arizona Memorial, I had thought of it as a historical war memorial from my grandparents’ generation. But that day, standing before the marble wall towering over me, listing the names of those who died, I was transformed.
It’s hard for me to believe, but the winter holidays are fast approaching (it’s amazing how time flies!). While this is often thought of as a time of celebration, it can also be a stressful time of year for many military families. I was recently asked about resources for military families and holiday stress, and I thought this might make a good topic for a blog post.
I don’t know any colleagues who aren’t on the brink of burnout right now, myself included. Perhaps it’s our increased caseloads, the impact of multiple global crises, our collective COVID fatigue, or all of the above. The topic of self-care has been coming up consistently in my workshops and consultation, especially from colleagues who work most often with trauma and PTSD. It’s motivated us at CDP to reflect on what helps us stay centered and healthy.