Cyndi's Two Cents

Stay positive this holiday season

Commentary.

Let the holiday season begin!

Some store shelves have been stocked with Christmas baubles and trinkets since mid-October.  I know people who pulled their artificial trees out of the closet and began the lengthy process of decorating their homes for the holidays the first week of November.  Not me.  I’m a last-minute kind of girl who delights in vacuuming needles from a once-live tree for weeks after the definitely-not-live-anymore tree has been wrapped in a sheet and hauled away.

I love the holiday season first and foremost because Christmas celebrates the birth of my Savior.  I also love Christmas music and the spirit of giving that is inspired in many. The scents, sounds and tastes of Christmas are engrained in most of us as children and represent fond memories that we carry with us throughout a lifetime.

Unfortunately, for many of our friends, neighbors and family members, the holiday season is a time of sadness instead of gladness. I know people who become melancholy and others who are overwhelmed with anxiety during this most wonderful time of the year. I’d guess there are very few of us who haven’t been a bit stressed with the demands (mostly self-inflicted) on our time and bank account, but many others experience full-blown depression throughout the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year’s Holiday weeks.

I’m not a doctor or a mental health professional, so would never suggest that simply being positive and upbeat can bring a person out of depression.  However, I do know that emotions are just as contagious any disease.  I remember very clearly how, at one of my first jobs, the mood of the manager when he walked into the office set the day’s mood for all of us who worked for him.  If he was scowling or grumbling as he walked through that door, we all walked on eggshells and avoided contact and conflict with him.  If he was smiling, we were joyful and productive and creative and inspired.

Not long before I left that job, I visited a doctor who explained to me how the painful and otherwise inexplicable physical symptoms I was experiencing came only after spending a couple of days in a particularly “dark” work environment.  When I asked him what I could do to prevent these symptoms from coming back, he told me quite matter-of-factly, “Get a new job.”   It’s not always that simple, is it?

Everywhere I go these days there are hand sanitizer dispensers to help prevent the spread of illness by killing bacteria, fungi and some viruses, none of which are more contagious than a smile or laughter – or panic or fear.  As you encounter people this holiday season, you will not sneeze or cough on them, so why in the world would you infect them with your negative attitude?

If you or someone you know suffers from persistent sadness or anxiety, is plagued by physical complaints, excessive irritability, fatigue or loss of energy, or lacks interest in doing things they once enjoyed, professional help could be needed.  According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) approximately 9% of Americans suffer from some form of depression.