The holiday season can feel incredibly lonely, but you’re not alone. Whether you’re living far away from loved ones, choosing to step away for personal reasons, or dealing with the loss of a loved one, feelings of loneliness can be overwhelming. But there are ways to cope. Here are 10 ways to look after your mental health over the holidays .
10 ways to take care of your mental health during the long holiday
1. Accept the feeling of loneliness.
It’s normal to feel lonely, and it’s important to acknowledge that emotion. Loneliness is just a feeling. You don’t have to push it away just because it doesn’t feel good. All feelings give us important information. While feeling lonely may not be the best emotion in the world, being mindful of it can help you better understand what you need in the moment. How can you be with feeling lonely without getting lost in unhelpful thoughts? Writing down your feelings and thoughts is a great way to be with your emotions. It can be an emotional release, and it can help clear your head so you can think about how to take care of yourself. (Angela Ficken, LICSW)
2. Don’t pay attention to advertisements .
Sure, it would be nice if our lives looked like postcards or movies where we see happy families enjoying Thanksgiving dinner, couples holding hands in the snow, or children excited about Christmas presents . But the truth is, life isn’t always that pretty. It’s important to understand that the holidays can be hectic, awkward, stressful, or worse. If you find yourself feeling like you’re not going the way you expected, don’t worry. Let go of your expectations that the holidays should be perfect and just enjoy them for who they are. (Jennifer Teplin, LCSW, Founder and Clinical Director of Manhattan Wellness)
3. Plan ahead .
Planning ahead for how you’ll deal with feelings of loneliness before the holiday season can help you feel better about dealing with them throughout the holiday season. This plan can include a list of people you know you can reach out to when you feel lonely, places you like to go to feel connected, or activities you tend to do that help you feel better. Keeping a list in your phone’s notes, or writing this list down and sticking it on your refrigerator, can help remind you of what brings you comfort during the difficult times of the holiday season. (Ivy Seraphin, LCSW, Psychotherapist at Cobb Psychotherapy)
4. Call a friend
Few people ask for help from others, but many understand what it’s like to feel lonely during the holidays. Talking to friends and sharing your experiences can help. If you’re open with them, you’ll have someone you can call, video call, or just be with who understands what you need. (Anastasia Brokas, LMFT)
5. Lower your expectations.
The higher your expectations, the higher the pressure. Managing your expectations of yourself and those of others can be a huge help during times when expectations are high. The holidays add a huge amount of stress to socializing with others or spending time with loved ones. Be realistic about what you expect of yourself and accept your limitations. The past year (or two) has been an especially difficult and challenging one, so do what works best for you. If the holidays don’t go the way you wanted, that’s okay – you’re doing the best you can. (Sarah Breen, LMSW Cobb Psychotherapy)
6. Be among the people
You don’t have to interact with anyone, but just being around people can help reduce feelings of loneliness. Find a public place that you feel comfortable in, and bring a โปรโมชั่นพิเศษจาก UFABET สมัครตอนนี้ รับโบนัสทันที book or a cup of coffee. Try to find a seat in a lively park and listen to the sounds of people and nature around you. You may still feel lonely, but you’ll feel less alone. (Kailey Hockridge, MA, EdM, LPCC)
7. Be prepared with ‘preparedness’
There is a skill that some of my clients have found useful called ‘cope ahead’. The purpose of this skill is to help us think ahead about how we can prepare to reduce stress. For example, you might think, ‘The holidays are coming up and I won’t be able to be with my family this year, so I know I’ll feel lonely, which will lead to withdrawal. I plan to get ready to do the jigsaw puzzle, prepare a holiday meal to cook, and call my cousin to check on her.’
Once you have a plan, practice it in your mind until you feel more confident. The more you practice your plan, the better you will be able to execute it. (Stephanie Longtain, LCSW)
8. Create a holiday bucket list
Create a holiday bucket list. Add activities or events you want to do, whether they’re close to home or far from home, and then get started! Want to make your own candles? Sign up! Want to see beautiful light displays? Consider taking a tour or organizing your own. Want to enjoy a delicious holiday meal or dessert at a fancy restaurant? Treat yourself. (Sarah F. O’Brien, LCSW, LCSW-C, CCATP, CTMH, Thrive & Shine Counseling)
9. Create a daily routine with high and low energy activities.
Explore things that interest you and keep you engaged, then establish a routine, ideally before the holidays so you have time to settle in. This could be starting a craft you want to try, making a list of interesting coffee shops, playing video games, making a list of dishes you want to try, taking a walk after work, etc.
If you’re having trouble creating a routine, try creating a menu of things you can do, and divide them into high- and low-energy activities. That way, when you feel down and unmotivated, it takes less energy to think about what needs to be done. It’s important to decide what high and low energy means to you, and whether those activities actually feel interesting, not just things you feel like you ‘should’ include. Something people find helpful and stress-relieving about routines is “stacking” activities, such as planning to do them in a row without setting a specific time frame for each activity (Linh Trần MSW, LSWAIC, Always Room For You Therapy).
10. Invite friends and family to join a virtual get-together.
Schedule a time to “meet up” with loved ones virtually over a video call. Platforms like Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime allow you to see multiple people at once. You can also set a theme for your get-together, such as a “wacky Christmas sweater” party or a “holiday karaoke night.” Websites and apps like Jackbox Games, Tabletopia, or Board Game Arena let you play board games with friends or even strangers around the world virtually. Platforms like Kast or Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) allow people to watch a movie together and chat while watching. (Nilou Esmaeilpour, MSc, RCC, Lotus Therapy)