Be reasonable with your schedule. Do not overbook yourself into a state of exhaustion--this makes people cranky, irritable, and depressed.

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1 2015 NOVEMBER 2015 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Beating the Holiday 1 Beating the Holiday 2 Calendar Of Events 3 Calendar Of Events 4 Calendar of Events 5 Meet the Staff 6 Be reasonable with your schedule. Do not overbook yourself into a state of exhaustion--this makes people cranky, irritable, and depressed. Mark Sichel As we approach Thanksgiving, we're starting a five-week period called "the holidays." We're supposed to look forward to the holidays and hope that they will be a time of happiness, friendliness, fellowship, and harmony. Yet often our anticipation and excitement turns into feelings of depression, commonly called holiday blues. Symptoms can include headaches, insomnia, uneasiness, anxiety, sadness, intestinal problems, and unnecessary conflict with family and friends. Part of what happens in the holiday season, in terms of mood changes and anxiety, may occur because of the stressfulness of holiday events. Overdrinking, overeating, and fatigue may also cause it. The demands of the season are many: shopping, cooking, travel, houseguests, family reunions, office parties, more shopping and extra financial burden Luckily, Psychology Today. Sichel, M. (2009, November 25) Beating the Holiday Blues, retrieved from gave us some tools to get through the holiday season happily, as well as ways to prevent problems and misery for yourself and your loved ones. 1. Be reasonable with your schedule. Do not overbook yourself into a state of exhaustion--this makes people cranky, irritable, and depressed. 2. Decide upon your priorities and stick to them. Organize your time. 3. Remember, no matter what our plans, the holidays do not automatically take away feelings of aloneness, sadness, frustration, anger, and fear. 4. Be careful about resentments related to holidays past. Declare an amnesty with whichever family member or friend you are feeling past resentments. Do not feel it is helpful or intimate to tell your relative resentments on your laundry list of grievances. Don't let your relative do that to you, either. 5. Don't expect the holidays to be just as they were when you were a child. They NEVER are. YOU are not the same as when you were a child, and no one else in the family is either.

2 Page 2 If you drink, do not let the holidays become a reason for overindulging and hangovers. This will exacerbate your depression and anxiety. Contrary to popular opinion, alcohol is a depressant. Alcohol is a depressant. People with depression shouldn't drink alcohol", says Sherry Rogers, MD, in her 1997 book on "Depression." 6. Feeling like you are under scheduled or under planned for the holidays? Volunteer to serve holiday dinner at a homeless shelter. Work with any number of groups that help underprivileged or hospitalized children at the holidays. There are many, many opportunities for doing community service. No one can be depressed when they are doing community service. 7. Plan unstructured, low-cost fun holiday activities: window-shop and look at the holiday decorations. Look at people's Christmas lighting on their homes, take a trip to the countryside, etc.--the opportunities are endless. 8. If you drink, do not let the holidays become a reason for over-indulging and hangovers. This will exacerbate your depression and anxiety. Contrary to popular opinion, alcohol is a depressant. Alcohol is a depressant. People with depression shouldn't drink alcohol", says Sherry Rogers, MD, in her 1997 book on "Depression." 9. Give yourself a break; create time for yourself to do the things YOU love and need to do for your physical and mental wellness: aerobic exercise, yoga, massage, spiritual practices, taking long fast walks or any activity that calms you down and gives you a better perspective on what is important in your life. 10. Most of all, if you find yourself feeling blue just remember: The choice is always yours: The sky is partly sunny, and the glass is half full and revel in our gratitude for our bounty, health, hope, and our courage to face each day with hope and determination.

3 November 2015 Page 3 November 5 - P.A.S.S. Proactive Advocates Sharing and Supporting 5pm-6pm Bob Hope Elementary School Kadena Air Base. A monthly parent driven support group. Participants are divided into two interactive groups-one for parents and one for children. Parents talk about effective communications and best practices for promoting positive behavior. The children s group participates in learning activities in a structured recreational based setting. This month, Ms. Rosemarie Leon, Program Manager for the MCCS New Parent Support will be speaking about her program and the services they provide. November 18 - Play and Learn With EFMP 10am-11pm - Every 3rd Wednesday of the Month, Camp Foster Library. Join EFMP and EDIS for some fun activities for ages from 0 to 3. For more information November 19 - EFMP am-1pm Camp Foster Education Center. Learn about EFMP. What exactly is EFMP and how can this program help our family? Learn about Respite Care and find out if you qualify. We will also provide our families with MCCS/Community Resources. November 20 - EFMP Family Bowling Night 5pm-6pm, Camp Foster Bowling Center. Come strap on those bowling shoes and join us for a fun night at the Camp Foster Bowling Alley. For more information Please be advised that these events may change. For more information about all of our upcoming events and for times and location contact your Okinawa EFMP office at or visit our website at

4 Page 4 December 3 - P.A.S.S. Proactive Advocates Sharing and Supporting 5pm-6pm Bob Hope Elementary School Kadena. A monthly parent driven support group. Participants are divided into two interactive groups-one for parents and one for children. Parents talk about effective communications and best practices for promoting positive behavior. The children s group participates in learning activities in a structured recreational based setting. December 4 - EFMP Home for the Holidays 5pm-7pm - Building 495, Camp Foster. Join EFMP for a night of hot cocoa cookies and sweets, while we learn how to make Japanese holiday crafts and decorate our own gingerbread house. For more information December 16 - Play and Learn With EFMP 10am-11pm - Every 3rd Wednesday of the Month, Camp Foster Library. Join EFMP and EDIS for some fun activities for ages from 0 to 3. For more information Please be advised that these events may change. For more information about all of our upcoming events and for times and location contact your Okinawa EFMP office at or visit our website at

5 Page 5 January 7 - P.A.S.S. Proactive Advocates Sharing and Supporting 5pm-6pm Bob Hope Elementary School Kadena. A monthly parent driven support group. Participants are divided into two interactive groups-one for parents and one for children. Parents talk about effective communications and best practices for promoting positive behavior. The children s group participates in learning activities in a structured recreational based setting. January 8 - EFMP Family Bowling Night 5pm-6pm, Camp Foster Bowling Center. Come strap on those bowling shoes and join us for a fun night at the Camp Foster Bowling Alley. For more information call EFMP at January 15 - EFMP am-1pm Camp Foster Education Center. Learn about EFMP, what exactly is EFMP and how can this program help our family? Learn about Respite Care and find out if you qualify. We will also provide our families with MCCS/Community Resources. For more information January 20 - Play and Learn With EFMP 10am-11pm - Every 3rd Wednesday of the Month, Camp Foster Library. Join EFMP and EDIS for some fun activities for ages from 0 to 3. For more information January 29 IEP Procedures 11am-1pm Camp Foster Education Center. Join us as Department of Defense Education Activity and EFMP team up to discuss and answer questions about Individualized Education Program (IEP) procedures. Please be advised that these events may change. For more information about all of our upcoming events and for times and location contact your Okinawa EFMP office at or visit our website at

6 Our Locations: MAIN OFFICE Bldg. 495 Camp Foster CELL: DSN: CAMP KINSER OFFICE Bldg Cell: DSN: Katrina Covington, MS, LPC EFMP Program Manager CAMP COURTNEY OFFICE Community services Center Building 4448 CELL: DSN: Susan Stamper-Smith EFMP Family Case Worker Laury Navat EFMP Family Case Worker Tony Rodriguez EFMP Family Case Worker AIR FORCE EFMP: Airman Family Readiness Center Camp Foster Camp Kinser Camp Courtney GROUP MCCS.ORG Mysael Santolaja EFMP Training, Education and Outreach Specialist Raeven Broccolo-Cox EFMP Administrative Assistant