iStock/Izabela-Habur

Avoid drinking too much

Even if you don’t gorge on deviled eggs, you might hit the bar cart hard, especially as a remedy for holiday depression. The APA’s study found that 38 percent of participants used alcohol to deal with holiday worries, compared to 18 percent during the rest of the year. Of course, that never works—and in a vicious cycle, it frequently makes negative feelings even worse. “Hangovers from alcohol do not add to joy,” Wehrenberg says. Plus, it can be dangerous: According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, two to three times more people die in alcohol-related car crashes, and 40 percent of traffic fatalities involve an alcohol-impaired driver during the holidays. So although it can be tempting to drown your sorrows in a bottle, limit the amount you consume, and recognize others in your social circle who might need help. “People with alcohol abuse issues may create very distressing situations, being drunk and argumentative, abusive, or otherwise disturbing to family and friends,” Wehrenberg says. “Family should plan ahead how to handle this situation, and perhaps spending some time at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings [or other recovery groups] or talking with a counselor before the holiday can help sort out what to do.”