Health council to host seasonal sadness workshops

The Quay County Health Council’s Intimate Partner Violence Task Force and the United Way of Eastern New Mexico are hosting holiday communication workshops to explain how to deal with different situations.

December’s workshop is “Seasonal Sadness is Real,” presented by Casey Peacock, volunteer coordinator with the United Way of Eastern New Mexico, and Dr. Marcus Smith, director of Counseling and Advising/Student Life/Government Relations at Clovis Community College.

“Our hope is to share information; give participants valuable resources and the tools they need to help them through what can be an incredibly stressful time of year,” Peacock said. “The holiday season should be a time of joy and happiness, but we also know that is not so for some folks and we want to ensure they have the tools and resources they need to make the holiday season better and more bearable for them.”

During and after Christmas time, many people suffer from holiday blues due to the finality of the year and short days. That kind of sadness can lead to family violence or self-injury. This workshop will provide tips for coping so participants can recognize the beginnings of depression and seek support.

There are three ways to participate in this workshop on Dec. 20 from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.: attend in person at the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce Office on Route 66 and Fifth Street; watch on Facebook Live @QuayCountyHealth; or request a Zoom link by calling (575) 815-4575 or emailing [email protected].