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The holiday season, of course, is marketed as the happiest time of the year. And for many, it is. However, for many of us, the holidays also bring stress and anxiety — even depression.

While helping employees manage through the “holiday blues” is not always a defined part of a workplace wellness program, helping manage mental and emotional wellness certainly is. Managers and colleagues would do well to integrate awareness into their program design.

To help, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers “Tips For Managing The Holiday Blues.”

NAMI writes: “Many people can experience feelings of anxiety or depression during the holiday season. People who already live with a mental health condition should take extra care to tend to their overall health and wellness during this time.”

“Extra stress, unrealistic expectations or even sentimental memories that accompany the season can be a catalyst for the holiday blues. Some can be at risk for feelings of loneliness, sadness, fatigue, tension and a sense of loss.”

“A lot of seasonal factors can trigger the holiday blues such as, less sunlight, changes in your diet or routine, alcohol at parties, over-commercialization or the inability to be with friends or family. These are all factors that can seriously affect your mood.”

In this video. Ken Duckworth, M.D., NAMI’s medical director, “shares advice for managing your health—both mental and physical—during the holiday season:”

As well, here is an infographic NAMI provides: