Getting Through the Winter & Holiday Blues

As we get closer to Christmas, with the days shorter, darker and colder, many people feel anxious or blue. With the COVID pandemic imposing a layer of isolation on top of those feelings, the experience of being down or lonely can turn into depression.    While there is no cure-all for feelings of sadness and a sense of loss, there are things that you can do to hang on to some emotional balance during this difficult season.   Watch what you eat. Enjoy the foods that you … [Read more...]

Alone On Thanksgiving Day?

  Whether you are alone because your family lives far away or because the COVID-19 pandemic prevents you from being together, it is important to think about how you want the Thanksgiving holiday to go. For many single individuals, who make up about a third of all households, Thanksgiving (and Christmas or Chanukah) can feel gloomy or sad if there is no one to share it with. It is hard to ignore all those family scenes in commercials, and joyous songs just don’t make up for a shared meal and hugs … [Read more...]

A Stress-Free Holiday… The Best Gift You Can Give Yourself

It’s Christmas Day. Your teenage son is refusing to emerge from his darkened bedroom because the love of his life (relationship duration: three weeks) has broken up with him. Your favorite cousin has fallen (leapt?) off the wagon right in your living room and upended the rum into the eggnog bowl. It’s no longer “laced” with liquor – it’s positively trussed. And while we’re on trussing: Your turkey – that lovely, fresh 22-pounder you had to pay a proverbial arm and leg for – seems to be cooking … [Read more...]