Happy Holidays!!! It’s hard to believe this is the last month of 2023. December is here and the holiday season is upon us.
While the holidays are festive, they can also be challenging for some people. Many of us can be glad to take time off from work, travel, and reunite with family and friends. But, the season can bring up reminders of loved ones you’ve have lost, friendships that have drifted apart, and your status as a single person who desires marriage. And those Christmas movies with their narratives of finding romantic love that conquers all, don’t help and may I add, are plain lies. We all know falling in love will not solve all your problems. However, here are a few tips to prepare you to approach the holiday season confidently:
- Decide to be joyful in your current state. Here you are and this is exactly where you need to be right now. Sometimes it can be tempting to feel like things are happening to you as opposed to you being in control of your life. But when you decide to accept your situation and be grateful for it, this changes your perspective and brings you joy.
- Cry if you need to. Accepting your entire situation means feeling the sadness of what is lacking. You have to feel to be able to deal and then to eventually heal. You can’t truly be happy by ignoring your pain. So, if you miss someone, if you are longing for someone, if you need something that you don’t have, acknowledge the difficulty of this situation. Then, you can truly be joyful about the things you do have.
- Avoid extremes. The holidays can be one of those times where we say to ourselves, “I’m on vacation, so anything goes.” You bend your standards a little bit; maybe you relax on your fitness goals, healthy eating habits, sleep schedule, daily routines, etc. Don’t overdo it because you will pay for it later! You don’t have to stay up all night watching Christmas movies, you don’t have to eat all the cookies and candies you get. Keep two to three of your daily routines and goals to give yourself some structure and balance.
- Enjoy what the season brings. Christmas music, Christmas parties, Christmas gifts, these happen once a year, enjoy them! Get involved and make it fun. Play some songs you like, give people gifts, drink some hot chocolate, go watch the Christmas lights, but again don’t overdo it.
- Guard your heart. Remember that you still have tendencies and temptations. The times when we are more likely to fall into temptation or sin are the times when we are not alert. If you are feeling lonely and really desire to be in a relationship, Christmas romance movies are probably not the best to binge on. Watch something else; there are Christmas movies that do not revolve around romance but are equally entertaining. But if you love the romantic movies, have some safeguards for yourself e.g. watch them during the day or early evening instead of right before bed, don’t watch multiple in a row, don’t watch them when you are alone. Instead, invite friends over or go to a friend’s place.
- Be outward focused. One unexpected way to enjoy the season is by focusing on doing something good for someone else. If you find yourself getting too sad about your situation, think about something tangible you can do. For example, plan to go sing carols somewhere needed, cook for someone you are grateful for, buy and take gifts to children or elderly people in need. Come up with your own ideas, get others involved, and go do them.
To read more on thriving during the holidays, refer to these articles.
