This is the time of year that many people anticipate. For many it is a time of faith and traditions, a time to celebrate the promise of peace. For others it is a time of frenzied activity as they struggle to meet the demands of holiday preparations. The familiar customs of gift giving, feasting and spending time with family are a major part of this holiday season. However the festive scenes displayed on greeting cards and in busy shopping malls do not always represent what happens behind the closed doors of many homes. 

For some of you, the holiday season is a time of loneliness. Almost every television commercial portrays idyllic images of children’s wishes being fulfilled, happy couples being wowed by over the top gifts, and smiles and laughter and hugs and kisses, all generating a feeling of warmth. What if this isn’t your experience? What if you are anticipating being alone, perhaps because of the loss of a loved one or because you have experienced a break up? How do you get through this lonely time?

Fight the Holiday Blues

Resist the inclination to crawl into a hole and hide until the season passes. The Holiday Blues are admittedly difficult to combat, however you stand a chance of feeling better when you rise to the challenge and take certain steps to fight these feelings.

A good place to start is with what’s in your mind. Are you adding to your distress by criticizing and or blaming yourself? Are you feeling unworthy or inadequate? Are you concluding that no one will ever love or want you? These are the kinds of thoughts that if you allow them to fester, can leave you feeling quite miserable. You have a choice; these feelings do not have to dominate you. In order to fight the blues you will need to push past the feeling and take certain steps that will shift your mood.

Plan activities

Make your plans in advance of the holidays; if you wait until the last moment, you are likely not going to do anything. You may be hesitant to attend traditional family gatherings because you want to avoid uncomfortable conversations. Perhaps there is a friend with whom you could make plans for an alternate holiday experience. This would be a good time to be creative and try something out of the ordinary such as a trip to a local attraction, perhaps one that you have been planning to visit but never got around to it

Volunteer

Volunteering your time requires some effort from you but the goodwill engendered by your actions is truly gratifying. Giving of yourself and your time also helps rejuvenate your spirits, shifting you away from the doldrums.

Be Thankful

Around the world people celebrate harvest and Thanksgiving as a time for giving thanks for the blessings of harvest. In the United States the Thanksgiving celebration kicks of the Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa seasons. Maintaining a spirit of thankfulness is the healthiest way to approach the holidays.

• Make a list of the things, from the smallest to the greatest, for which you are thankful.
• Place your list in a conspicuous place in your home, office or mobile device where you can reread it occasionally.
• Keep adding to your list as you think of more things for which you are grateful.

Make a promise to yourself to be proactive in challenging the blues. Remember the hardest part of the fight is the first step. Once you get going, you will begin to feel less depressed and more energized.

Blessings to you and yours!

Grace