Along with the beautiful sights and sounds of fluffy white snow and jingle bells unfortunately comes shorter days and seasonal depression. The more negative effects of the holiday season are a roadblock to what feels like the mandatory celebration of holiday cheer. Balancing the seasonal sadness and holiday happiness can be a hard task, so here are some tips.
The first way to help boost that holiday spirit is to fill your home with the scents of the holidays. This can be done by going out and getting a scented candle from somewhere like T.J. Maxx, Bath and Body Works, or even online. Some scents from Bath and Body Works that complete those cozy winter vibes are Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla, Spiced Gingerbread, Flannel, and the highly sought after Winter Candy Apple. Another way to fill your home with the scents of the holidays that might be a bit more financially conscious is making a simmer pot. Simmer pots are very customizable to the scents that you enjoy, made by taking different herbs, spices, and fruits and simmering over a low heat with a bit of water. A holiday themed simmer pot can include things such as apple and orange peels, whole cloves, whole cinnamon sticks, and even pine tree clippings.
Listening to Christmas music can also be an easy way to get into the holiday groove. Putting on classic holiday toons while decorating the tree, driving to work, or even cooking dinner can be a great way to trick yourself into the holiday spirit. Pre-made Christmas playlists can be found on Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music and similar streaming platforms. If the same old classics tend to bore you, the pop group Pentatonix puts out unique versions of the holiday music we know and love in an acapella style. Christmas music is a special treat we can only really cherish for a short amount of time, so taking advantage of it can really lift the spirits.
Once December inches closer and holiday decorations start to go up, taking a walk or drive through different neighborhoods to look at all of the decorations is a great way to lift spirits. The Southern Maryland “Holly Jolly Light Trail” is a compiled list of different light displays that can be found around Southern Maryland. Grabbing a warm holiday drink from Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts can also add a bit of holiday cheer to this adventure. By looking at some of the lights and décor, it can be a source of inspiration for what might be your own holiday décor for the year. Certain local parks also host Christmas light shows the closer the holiday comes. One not so local establishment, the Baltimore Zoo, hosts an annual light installation with over 100k led lights.
Lastly, the holidays aren’t done right without a classic movie marathon to kick them off. Some of the most iconic phrases used around the wintertime are extracted from classic Christmas films. Sitting down with a warm cup of cocoa and a freshly popped bowl of popcorn is the perfect way to set the mood. Watch out for a future article on the perfect Christmas movie playlist.
Though seasonal depression can hit us hard, especially when the holidays tend to be robust with cheer (real or fake), don’t give up on your own personal cheer-meter! There is always a little something to pump you up and get you excited about the holidays to come.
