Vitalia Senior Residences at Stow Prepares for Possible Holiday Blues

For many the holiday season is a joyful, happy time built around togetherness, family, and friends, but for some it can be very stressful and filled with overwhelming expectations, depression, and anxiety. The holiday season can be a reminder of those who are not with us anymore, financial limitations, sadness from being separated from loved ones, and the loss of treasured traditions. Celebrating this time of year doesn’t have to be a sad or overwhelming time. It can be a peaceful time of reminiscing, volunteering, spending time with friends, and creating new traditions!

Some common causes of depression during the holiday season include the changes in the seasons, time change, and Vitamin D deficiency. Signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress we should monitor are feelings of sadness, anxiety, weight gain, and trouble concentrating.

We can help our residents eliminate the holiday blues with our 45 Days of Holiday Cheer and get them involved in fun, exciting, and new activities! It is important for the residents to get out of their apartments and get engaged with events of the community.

We can combat loneliness by encouraging residents to attend large group gatherings, like Happy Hour, where there is always fun, food, and entertainment. We need to also educate the residents on different traditions to get involved with and they can create new traditions as well.

The holiday season means different things to each of us. The holidays are about family, friends, food, and tradition. For many, the smells, taste, and decorations bring memories flooding back. We at Vitalia Senior Residences at Stow hope some of these ideas will be helpful as the holidays approach.