For most of us, the purpose of the holidays is to bring peace, love, and goodwill towards all. Yet, for many, the holiday season often means stress, fatigue, pressure, disappointment and loneliness. 對我們大多數人來說，休假的目的是為獲得清靜、關愛和友善，但是對很多人來說，假日卻常常意味著緊張、疲倦、壓力、失望和孤寂。
These feelings, often known as the "holiday blues," may be even more prevalent, due to the emotional turmoil of the past few months, not to mention the unsteady economy. 且不說變化不定的經濟，過去幾個月來情感上的波折就可能使這種被稱為"假日憂傷"的情感更為普遍。
Experts say even the more ritual tasks of shopping, decorating, late-night parties, cooking, planning and family reunions can be holiday stressors. 專家說，甚至購物、布置房間、深夜晚會、做飯、計劃和家庭團聚這種人們習以為常的事，都可能成為假日緊張的因素。
In addition, the psychological phenomenon known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, may bring a specific type of depression related to winter's shorter days and longer nights. 此外，季節情感紊亂癥或稱SAD的心理現象也可能導致一種與冬季晝短夜長有關的特殊類型的抑郁。
"Certainly just because it's the holidays doesn't mean people are going to be happy," says Dr. Doug Jacobs of Harvard University. "And this will be a particularly hard holiday for some who are dealing with a lost job, debt, or even a lost loved one." 哈佛大學的Doug Jacobs博士說：“當然，假日并不意味著大家都會很開心。對于那些正在應付失業、債務問題、甚至失去親人的人來說，假期將尤其難熬。”
And with family reunions becoming less frequent events over the years, there is now the added pressure of getting just one chance to get it all right. "Families are much more disparate now. The disappointment and sense of alienation that often results from family gatherings, is actually a realization that the fantasy is not met." says John Stutesman, a clinical psychologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. 近年來，隨著家庭團聚的減少，舉辦一個恰到好處的家庭聚會的壓力也更大。芝加哥西北紀念醫院的臨床心理學家John Stutesman說，“現在的家庭是截然不同的，人們在家庭聚會中感到失望、疏遠，實際上他們已認識到幻想不能實現”。
Still, say experts, the blues should be addressed. The most essential step, says Stutesman, is for the individual to acknowledge their feelings and the reason for their withdrawal. "Denial will only compound the stress they're feeling." 專家們說，針對假日憂傷人們還是應該采取措施。Stutesman說，最根本的措施是人們應承認他們的感受和消沉的原因。他說：“否認只會加重其緊張情緒。”
Stutesman recommends people do things that are normally comforting in order to get a handle on the holiday stress. "If they're feeling a little blue, they should try to do things personally satisfying for them. Maybe this is exercise, cooking, reading a book, or massage." Stutesman建議人們做一些通常令人寬慰的事來對付假日緊張情緒，如果感到有些憂傷，應去做一些自覺愜意的事情，如鍛煉、烹調、讀書或按摩。
（英語點津Jennifer編輯）
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