Poor Betty

Its November and poor Betty does not know what to do! She is running all over town to collect “fixings” for a twenty person Thanksgiving feast at her home. She is feeding one grandmother, four aunts, two uncles, two of her children (with their spouses), six grandchildren, two family friends and her husband. (She’s not including herself. She doesn’t think she will have time to eat.)
And, on top of shopping for “Turkey Day” she has lots and lots of Christmas presents to buy, cards to send out and holiday decorations to put up. Thank heavens she is going to her daughters house on New Years Eve and will not have to prepare refreshments for that party. She merely has to drive five hundred miles to get there!
So, with the holiday season in full sewing Betty doesn't seem to have as much energy as she should. She’s tired all the time and has to take naps during the day. But, at night she suffers from insomnia. And worse that all of that, she feels so sad most of the time. What's poor Betty to do?
Well, what she did was speak to her friend Lois. Lois told Betty she should see her doctor to rule out any medical conditoins that would cause her to be tired and sad all the time. So, that’s what Betty did.
Her doctor told her she was fine. She was just suffering from a little depression-the holiday blues. He said it could even be a mild case of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and her gave her a list of things she should do to beat it. This is the list he gave her:

• Go easy on yourself. Its not a weakness to feel depressed.
• Get moving physically to keep your spirits up. Take a walk, go to the gym or just get out of the house for a while.
• Avoid self medication with alcohol or drugs not prescribed by your doctor.
• Eat a healthier diet. Avoid too many sugary and starchy treats; and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Engage in positive conversations with family and friends.
• When it’s a sunny day go outside sun for about twenty minutes.

Betty’s friend Lois added one more item to the list. “Get a massage at least once a month.” Lois said the massage relieves her stress, helps her have more energy and she feels healthier.
Betty took the advice given her and no longer has a problem with her mild depression. She feels great, enjoys life and is looking forward to next years holiday season.
You can feel better this holiday season as well by following the advice given to Betty.
Ben Gustafson; RMT
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