The end of the year is a pretty merry time, regardless of what holidays you are celebrating.
It is a time that most people spend with their close family and loved ones. But if you are not able to spend the holiday time with family, it can get a little lonely.
There is something about the holiday season that can trigger a real low point for some people.
Instead of letting the season get you down and feeling alone, try these suggestions to lift your mood.
14 Ways To Survive And Thrive During The Holidays…
1. Seek family and friends. When you feel lonely, often the best comfort is the presence of loved ones. If possible, seek out their company, and spend some quality time with family and friends. Talk to them about your feelings. It can be difficult to admit to loneliness, but talking to someone about it can truly help. If you have no one to talk to, seek out a hotline in your area or go to an online forum and anonymously tell people about your loneliness. You will feel better for it.
2. Forgive. Sometimes the thing that is stopping you from making connections with loved ones is the walls you have put up. Perhaps there are bad feelings about something that happened in the past. Those wounds will not heal on their own. So, take the leap. Throw pride aside, jump through the wall of fear, and reach out to a loved one. Forgive them in your heart and just reach out. Make that connection at this merry time of forgiveness.
3. Open yourself up to meeting new people. Another thing that can stop you from making connections with people are walls you put up between yourself and those you don’t know intimately. Perhaps there are coworkers or classmates or other acquaintances that could be good friends, but you won’t know unless you let them in. Well, resolve to change that. Open yourself up, be friendly, and reach out. Sure, it won’t always work out, but it will never work if you don’t give it a shot.
4. Volunteer. Nothing can remind you about the true spirit of Christmas like serving food to the less fortunate. It makes you realise how lucky you are, and you feel good that you are helping your fellow human beings. Take some time during the holidays to volunteer your time to a good cause. This is something you can continue through the rest of the year too.
5. Exercise. Exercise is a great way to lift your mood. If you are feeling down, get out and get active. You don’t need to hit the gym or go running, you could play a team sport, take a dance class, go hiking, or anything else that gets you active.
6. Pamper yourself. Play Santa and give yourself the gift of relaxation. Get a massage, go to a spa, or just run a hot bath and drink your favourite drop. However you do it, find a soothing activity and environment to just enjoy yourself.
7. Be festive. The power of positive thinking can go a long way. Being happy and merry will help you to feel that way too. Get into the holiday mood, sing songs, decorate, or celebrate in some way. With enough merriment in your life, you will find it makes its way into your heart as well.
8. Give. Similar to volunteering, giving can create a great feeling about yourself. Give to the less fortunate, a neighbour, or to a child you know. Give to a good cause.
9. Avoid excessive alcohol. A couple of drinks can be nice, but excessive drinking can bring you down even more. Drink in moderation.
10. Keep things simple. The holidays can be merry, but they are often filled with more activities than you can handle. The extra events can threaten to overwhelm. Instead, simplify your life during the holiday season and reduce the number of things you commit to. You will be less stressed and happier for it.
11. Spend time with single friends. Sometimes it can be a real downer to hang around with your married friends and family. In addition, they are so focused on their family that they often don’t focus on you. While you shouldn’t shun your loved ones who have families or partners, it’s a good idea to get together with the single friends in your life. Not only can you keep each other company, but you can focus on each other more, share commonalities, and have a great time together.
12. Find and pursue your passion. While many people will work less during the holidays, you could try something different: work more. But don’t just work for work’s sake — do work that you love. Whether it is a project you are passionate about at your current job or pursuing a passion outside your job in your off hours, pour yourself into it. You may need to seek out that passion, and do some experimenting and soul searching, but that’s part of the fun.
13. Hold a get-together yourself. Don’t wait to be invited — hold a get-together and invite those you’d like to talk to for a little while. Get creative with the food. Keep things simple. Play some great music and have a blast.
14. Focus on what makes you happy. Perhaps the most important tip of all: instead of focusing on what you don’t have, focus on what you love. What makes you happy? If you focus on that, that will be your reality.