Community Corner
Not So Happy Holidays
What is supposed to be the "most wonderful time of the year" can be one of the most stressful, even depressing times.
On Nov. 30, the hosted "Coping with the Holidays," a workshop aimed at addressing and alleviating holiday stress. Diane Monks, an ordained interfaith minister and founder of Mainstream Meditation, worked with attendants to recognize what causes holiday stress and depression and she offered ways of coping with it.
"We found that a lot of our members who used our career services were unhappy around this time of year," says Suzanne Molczan, the library program director.
Despite being offered initially for members of career services, the workshop blossomed to include everyone with different types of holiday stress. With the success of the library's weekly , which is partly comprised of meditation, Molczan scheduled this workshop to target holiday stress purely with meditation.
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"The reason we feel like this during the holidays is really different from person to person," says Monks. "Acknowledging that you are unhappy or stressed means you are halfway there," she told the group of 10 adults, whose reasons for attending the workshop ranged from loss of a parent, to the stress of working in retail this season, to simply finding it difficult to get into the holiday spirit. According to Monks, no matter what causes unhappiness during the holidays, making time for yourself is essential.
"As a universal tool, meditation can be very useful in helping to alleviate stress and calm the body and mind," says Monks, who suggests setting aside time, preferably the same time each day for yourself.
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A quiet space with no distractions is ideal and music or candles can be added to create a more calming atmosphere. Since maintaining a clear mind can be difficult to do alone at first, Monks offers meditation tapes and CDs that guide the listener through the session.
"Even taking 10 seconds at the beginning of the day to just breathe and be with yourself is enough...knowing that there are resources and people all around you to help youis so important," she says.
For information on workshops by Diane Monks, go to http://www.dianemonks.com.
