Hello Everyone,
I hope this week has treated you well AND that you are keeping up with your New Year resolutions.
By now we have all resumed our ‘normal’ life- back to work, school, gym, healthy eating, no drinking etc. It is really hard to adjust back to our regular routines after holidays, especially Christmas. It was a long break with so much going on. Some of us, myself included, even travelled out of Guyana for the holidays. Despite today’s relatively various and rapid means of travel, it still puts lots of stress on our minds and bodies. This increases when we have to get used to time, climate change, different means of travel etc.

There are a few things that we have to deal with now that the holidays have come to an end. I would like to speak about them in the hopes of making the transition easier for as many as possible. The first is loneliness. Most of us do an unusual amount of socialising during the Christmas season which makes us feel noticed and loved, whether we realise it at the time or not. Some people find this adjustment hard as others are back to their busy, personal and private life.
Another thing is going back to or starting a healthier lifestyle. Those who read my column often know that I always preach eating right and exercising. This is not at all for vanity or weight reasons but rather (whether I practice it often myself or not) I genuinely believe in the term ‘healthy body, healthy mind’. I believe when we look and feel our best, we turn that confidence inwards and are automatically better equipped to deal with daily life’s stressors.

The comings and goings of our families during the season also results in sadness and in extreme cases, separation anxiety. So many of us had family come in or that we visited, whom we are still missing today. Separation anxiety is a psychological disorder where an individual feels excessive anxiety or sadness when leaving a home environment or loved ones, where there is a strong attachment. It can be both long or short term, sometimes requiring medication and other times, disappearing with distraction or regular communication with the ones missed. Deeply missing loved ones after the holidays is normal. I have experienced this as an international student. For a few weeks after I left Guyana and returned to wherever I was at the time, I know both my family and I suffered this. I felt this way about my family, friends, roti and green mango. Seriously- I’m not downplaying the seriousness of this feeling, I honestly felt that way over all of the above- things I was used to daily and that comforted me.

The symptoms of sadness and depression based on any of the above could be mild to severe. These include disruptions in eating and sleeping patterns, crying, isolation, anger, resentment and can even become physical with headaches, nausea and low motivation and productivity. If you are experiencing these symptoms up to four weeks after the holidays, I would strongly advise that you go to your nearest health centre and explain how you are feeling OR call the helpline numbers at the bottom of this article.

So, how do we adjust back to normal life quickly and easily? In a way that promotes good mental health? Easy! First and foremost, do not continue drinking as so many do. Yet again, start a healthier lifestyle- this is different for everyone and you will know what physical activity works best for you.
Incorporate some of the new things you learnt over the holidays into your regular routine life. For example, if you really loved a certain meal, look to cook it; if you met someone nice, stay in touch; if you visited somewhere nice, keep a trinket or reminder nearby. This keeps the excitement as well as provides new learning and social opportunities.

Make a list of things to look forward to. January is always a slow month which causes people to be bored and feel a little down- make a list if it helps. Is there a birthday coming up? Anniversary? Office party? Wedding? Etc. This will produce new excitement that may have disappeared along with the holiday season.
Continue to make plans with your friends and family. Yes, people are busy again but it doesn’t mean you have to wait for another big holiday to see them again.
For those who miss their family and have the means to, keep up with social media and the latest technologies. I’m aware that it is not as good as personal interaction but with the technology and apps available these days, it’s actually quite hard to miss someone. There is Facetime, Skype, Facebook calling and video, WhatsApp calling and video- I could go on and on. It’s actually insane. None of that was available when I started University as an International Student (yes, that’s how old I am).

For those of you who are studying or working abroad- take it from me- home will always be here. It will not drastically change or forget about you. Missing things and people while looking forward to seeing them has a positive impact on the relationship. In the meantime, do new activities- there is so much more available to you which will encourage growth and development. Enjoy the independence which is caused by this alone time and distance.

Next week I’m going to talk about ways to decrease or quit smoking as an uncountable number of people told me that was their New Year’s Resolution. I will support them in talking about the benefits of this as well as suggestions and little tips on how to make it easier!

Thanking you for reading. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com Or come in to see me at:

Georgetown Public Hospital: Psychiatric Department:
Monday- Friday – 8am- 12pm

Woodlands Hospital: Outpatient Department
Drug and Alcohol group meetings – Mondays 4:15
Good mental health group meetings- Wednesdays 4:15
Suicide Prevention Helpline numbers: 223-0001, 223-0009, 623-4444, 600-7896

Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always