Are you happy for the holidays? Do you have a reason to be?
Surely, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but not for you when you’re experiencing the holiday blues. There’s a gap between how others feel and how you personally feel. The experience is simply different.
If you’ve been bitten by the bitter bug of the holiday blues, then you’re not alone. It’s not just that you’re feeling a bit under the weather. You have some top reasons up your cold, freezing sleeve and these are:
- Work demands. Of all days in the year, you have to work on Christmas Eve. You’ll miss friends and family. Oh, well. Somebody has to hold the fort and that unfortunate guy is you. Although you can’t help but feel miserable, you could whistle a Christmas tune or two. Virtually, in your office, surround yourself with photos of people who care.
- If you’re thinking about being “home for Christmas”, then…in your dreams! They’re home, you’re abroad, and it’s not like you can get the next plane there. Away from your loved ones, you feel lonely and disconnected. If you don’t feel like engaging in small talk, skip those huge parties where you hardly known anybody. Instead, join small, intimate gatherings where you feel warmer and more welcome.
- Cultural thing. Are you celebrating the holidays in a foreign land? It will feel fascinating, but somehow incomplete. For instance, come Yuletide, you won’t feel accustomed to a regular sit-down dinner (where everyone rushes off back to work or to sleep) – not when you’re used to a food fiesta, a shabu-shabu, or a boodle fight. To avoid that seasonal drop in your mood, play familiar Christmas carols, your favorite songs, or instrumental music from your own corner of the world.
- Personal reasons.Are you recovering from a bad breakup or a divorce? When it’s your first time to be alone after so many years, it’s hard to feel cheerful. You miss the warm fuzzy feeling of being hugged. To survive the season apart from that person, start to create your own holiday tradition. Decorate your home. Check events near you. It’s up to you to give a No, a Yes, or a Maybe. There’s no pressure to go; just the interest in going.
- Financial pressure. Warning:Avoid social media at all costs! With no spare dollar to spend for gifts or travel, you’d hate to see everyone going on a shopping spree. So, spare yourself the awkward feeling that you’re missing out on all the holiday fun. Avoid pricey drinks and dinners you can’t afford. At any rate, you wouldn’t really be in the mood for heavy, late-night drinking. Enjoy a warm mug or tumbler of coffee instead. Go to your favorite coffee shop and try their holiday flavors. This will make you feel merry and festive.
When you don’t have a reason to feel happy for the holidays, give yourself a pretty good reason! Keep yourself from feeling blue. Don’t wait to be in the right mood to celebrate anything; celebrate everything to set you in the right mood.
Much to your relief, once the holidays are over, the sad feelings will fade. The holiday blues are only temporary and fleeting. They will go away in time, when the seasons pass.
You, however, have made it past the holiday blues. At the end of the day, when the holidays are over, you deserve something more. Start out the year with a pat on the back, and that’s for wonderfully making it through!
