December is good for emotional health.

The holiday season is a time to be joyful, but given our different circumstances, this might seem impossible for some of us. It's not easy watching neighbors put up holiday decorations that we cannot afford, not easy watching friends, family and neighbors stepping out to enjoy an evening stroll through streets adorned with lighted trees and window decorations, and certainly not easy knowing we will have to work on the very day other families are laughing, opening presents, and enjoying the best of both--extra time and extra money. Yet, despite the lack of finances and the blues that we sometimes feel during the Christmas holiday season, studies show that we remain hopeful, inspired, and less prone to negative thinking than during other times of the year. It seems December is good for our emotional health.

Past studies have supported what the CDC calls a "myth," when it comes to increased suicide rates during the holiday season. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), suicides decrease in December. The "CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reports that the suicide rate is, in fact, the lowest in December. The rate peaks in the spring and the fall."

Recent studies dispel the myth that the suicide rate increases during the holiday season. Suicides are committed during the holiday season, but people who commit suicide do so for a variety of reasons. With 36,000 people taking their own lives every year, suicide remains the 10th leading cause of death for all Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 374,000 individuals are treated for self-inflicted wounds every year. With this in mind, the CDC is studying ways to "protect" people from suicide, but there are simple things that we all can do.

Because December is a time for giving and thinking of others, it only makes sense that suicides are decreased during this month. Doing for others naturally boosts our happiness quotient. For friends and family showing signs of depression or sadness during this holiday season, there is something we can do. We can help someone create their own happiness, and as we lift their spirits, we lift our own. We are able to offer gifts to others and to ourselves all at the same time. Simple activities that spread happiness include:

• Invite friends, family or neighbors to a family or community event. 
• Send holiday greeting cards via snail mail. 
• Volunteer and invite someone to join in.
• Deliver canned goods to a food bank or community shelter.
• Smile and say, "Happy Holidays"!

These simple gestures of good will can make all the difference between someone experiencing sadness or happiness during the holiday season. December is especially good for the emotional health of self and others.
(Excerpts from http://www.cdc.gov-"Holiday Suicides: Fact or Myth").