The holiday season is a time for gathering with friends and family, gift giving and reflection and celebrating a new year. Unfortunately though, for many people holiday time can be the most difficult time of year. The demands of the season to be happy and festive, the aggravation surrounding crowded shopping malls, long lines at the post office and the pressure to be with family and friends can be overwhelming. These increased stress-levels and seasonal depression has been coined the "holiday blues." Symptoms of the holiday blues include headaches, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and over-eating and excessive drinking.

It's interesting that it's the very factors that define the holidays that actually contribute to the holiday blues. Christy Lancer, a 37-year-old real estate agent in San Diego, CA. says she's grappled with the stress of the holidays for years. "I usually feel pretty good until about a week after Thanksgiving. Then it's time for holiday cards to go out and shopping to begin. Then the holiday party’s start and my kids’ Christmas pageant to get ready for followed by the arrival of houseguests and the onset of holiday cooking and baking. By the time New Year's Eve rolls around I'm exhausted and want to climb into bed by 8:00."

Additionally, the holidays can bring about painful memories of grief and loss at the thought of loved ones that have passed away. What can you do to cope with stress and avoid depression during the holidays? The National Mental Health Association recommends the following steps:

• Keep expectations for the holidays manageable. Make a list of priorities for yourself and set realistic goals.
  
  
• Realize that you don't have to be happy all the time.
  
  
• Look to the future and the upcoming holiday season without comparing it to seasons past.
  
  
• Volunteer. By doing something for someone else you can relieve tension and help others.
  
  
• Refrain from excessive drinking. Alcohol is a depressant and will only intensify problems or tensions.
  
  
• Experience some new holiday celebrations. Do something fun and different or begin new holiday traditions.
  
  
• Spend time with supportive caring people. You know the people you can most count on when you're feeling blue or look to new friends to help you through.
  
  
• Make time for yourself. Take some time to get a massage or take a yoga class. Let others share responsibilities. If someone offers to help, let them!