Feeling blue? Health editor Janice Kerr has a suggestion. -- AP
Many people suffer from depression during the holidays. There’s even a name for it: the holiday blues. Often this depression is caused by the increased stress that is associated with the holidays -- all those things you feel you need to get done in order to have a perfect holiday.
There are many remedies to holiday blues. This time of year you’ll find articles in just about every magazine, in the newspaper, and reports on TV, offering suggestions for dealing with holiday blues. Here’s a new one I’ve come across: listen to music you enjoy.
I’m not talking Christmas carols here. Some people do find Christmas music cheerful, but if you’re suffering from holiday induced stress and depression, listening to music of the season might just increase your stress and depression.
Instead, listen to your favorite music, songs you love, tunes that make you feel happy. Music triggers the brain to release dopamine, the happy chemical. And that will give a boost to your mood.
So whether it’s blues or bluegrass, rock or raggae, folk, classical, or Broadway tunes, queue up a play list of your favorites, and download a dose of dopamine whenever you’re feeling blue.
Great advice, Janice! For me it’s Broadway show tunes. What about you, readers? What’s your favorite genre of music? Post a comment to enter the drawing for a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP
Many people suffer from depression during the holidays. There’s even a name for it: the holiday blues. Often this depression is caused by the increased stress that is associated with the holidays -- all those things you feel you need to get done in order to have a perfect holiday.
There are many remedies to holiday blues. This time of year you’ll find articles in just about every magazine, in the newspaper, and reports on TV, offering suggestions for dealing with holiday blues. Here’s a new one I’ve come across: listen to music you enjoy.
I’m not talking Christmas carols here. Some people do find Christmas music cheerful, but if you’re suffering from holiday induced stress and depression, listening to music of the season might just increase your stress and depression.
Instead, listen to your favorite music, songs you love, tunes that make you feel happy. Music triggers the brain to release dopamine, the happy chemical. And that will give a boost to your mood.
So whether it’s blues or bluegrass, rock or raggae, folk, classical, or Broadway tunes, queue up a play list of your favorites, and download a dose of dopamine whenever you’re feeling blue.
Great advice, Janice! For me it’s Broadway show tunes. What about you, readers? What’s your favorite genre of music? Post a comment to enter the drawing for a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP
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