If you’re feeling down during the holidays, please know you aren’t alone. Plenty of people know exactly how it feels to experience the holiday blues. Knowing you’re going to have to celebrate the holidays alone is one of the more common reasons for the holiday blues. Living far away from family members and friends is never easy.
Being single during the holidays is another reason low-vibrational feelings might directly impact you. Regardless of the root cause for your holiday blues, you must nurture your mental health above all else. Check out these warning signs that you’ve possibly been neglecting your mental health.
To compile this list of ideas for handling the holiday blues, 24/7 Tempo consulted several informative sites for insight and tips.
Make a vision board for the upcoming year
Vision boards can be uplifting.
You can start feeling better about your current circumstances by looking ahead to the future. You can make that happen by creating a vision board. It should highlight all the things are looking forward to in the upcoming year. This is something you can do before or after New Year’s Eve as a way of warmly welcoming the next 12 months.
Decorate your home
Home decor might make you smile.
Beating the holiday blues might just require some décor! Decorating your home in a way that brings you joy can be a game-changer. Adding holiday décor to your home is a great way to boost your mood – even if you’re the only one who’s going to lay eyes on it all. Think about tinsel, ornaments, wreaths for the front door, and sparkling lights.
Shop for holiday deals
Shopping can be a lot of fun.
The holiday season is a great time to shop for some of the best deals ever. Since businesses know people are doing more shopping than ever for their loved ones, they try to offer loads of discounts to keep their clientele happy. Find out what deals your favorite stores are offering before the season ends and purchase anything that’s been sitting on your wishlist for a while.
Order your favorite meal to be delivered at home
Ordering food makes life easier.
You might be the type of person who’s always cooking meals at home. If that’s the case, give yourself a break by ordering your favorite meal to be delivered to your doorstep. There are plenty of food delivery apps you can depend on including Ubereats, DoorDash, and GrubHub.
Focus on your fitness
Exercise can be a game-changer.
Saying “goodbye” to the holiday blues might be as simple as shifting your focus to your fitness goals. Plenty of people make a pact with themselves to focus on their fitness goals as a New Year’s resolution. You don’t have to wait until New Year’s Day to get started with this idea.
Schedule FaceTime dates with long-distance loved ones
Video calls among loved ones are so positive.
Living far away from your loved ones is never easy. As soon as you start missing your friends and family members, heart-wrenching and painful feelings often take over. You can still stay in contact with the people you care about most by scheduling FaceTime dates with them based on everyone’s availability.
Spoil yourself with a spa day
A spa day will squash the holiday blues.
You deserve to spoil yourself with a spa day as a way of fighting back against the holiday blues. A spa day is something you can treat yourself to at home if you’d like. It also works at your favorite salon. Think about getting a massage, getting your nails done, or doing something else that will make you feel better about yourself.
Binge-watch holiday movies
Holiday movies are wonderful to watch.
During the holiday season, there will never be a shortage of holiday movies to watch. Regardless of the streaming platforms you subscribe to, you’ll come across tons of holiday movies that are liable to lift your spirits. Holiday movies that were released this year will make you smile just as much as holiday movies from decades past.
Bake holiday treats
Sweet treats are great during the holidays.
One of the most delicious ideas that beat the holiday blues is baking holiday treats. Think about enjoying gingerbread cookies, chocolate chip cookies, or frosted snowman sugar cookies. By the time you’re finished with the baking process, you’ll have something yummy to snack on. Baked goods always taste better when they’re homemade.
Start reading a new book
Reading a good book can be healing.
If you haven’t taken time out of your schedule to sit down with a good book recently, now would be a great time to make that happen. Head to your local bookstore or library to pick out a new book that’s intriguing to you. If flipping pages isn’t your cup of tea, listen to an audiobook instead.
Attend a group holiday event in your local area
Group events can be so much fun.
A quick Google search will help you find out about any group holiday events in your local area. There’s a chance the people who live near you are planning to celebrate the holidays as a community. If so, it might behoove you to leave your comfort zone and join in on the fun. The group events could revolve around arts and crafts, gift exchanges, or ice skating.
Try volunteer work
Volunteering is totally selfless.
Volunteering is a great way to give back during the holiday season. When you volunteer, it serves as a stark reminder of all the positive things you already have in your life. It also gives you a chance to be a blessing in the lives of others who are in need. Volunteering is a selfless way to fight the holiday blues.
Join your neighbors for holiday caroling
Christmas caroling can be a lot of fun.
Your neighbors might have plans to go caroling throughout the neighborhood. If they do, this is a fun activity you can join in on. Holiday music tends to be lighthearted, fun, and magical. Singing wonderful lyrics around friendly neighbors is a brilliant way to remove yourself from the negative energy of the holiday blues.
Write a gratitude list
A gratitude list is a must.
Writing up a gratitude list is the best things you can do for yourself when you’re battling against the holiday blues. A gratitude list will remind you of the great things you’ve got going on in your life as it stands today. When you show gratitude for the things you already have, it makes it easier for more positive things to come your way.
Book a therapy session
Therapy might be necessary.
Booking a professional therapy session with a psychologist is a smart move to make if you feel like the holiday blues are starting to consume you. Psychologists are trained to help people sort through all of their emotions. They want to get you into a better headspace. There are several different forms of therapy you can lean into, which means it’s up to you to decide what works best.
Start listening to a new podcast
Podcasts can boost your mood.
There are thousands of podcasts to discover and listen to these days. Regardless of what interests you the most, you’ll be able to find a podcast that will help distract you from the holiday blues. There are podcasts that cover true crime topics, astrology, entrepreneurship, fashion advice, and more. Track down some intriguing ones and start listening!
Get more involved at work
Staying busy at work is an idea.
If you’re interested in climbing the corporate ladder at your job, this could be your chance. Use this time to start pouring yourself into work a little more. By getting more involved at work, you’re killing two birds with one stone. You’re distracting yourself from the holiday blues and giving yourself the opportunity to stand out in front of your superiors.
Sign up for a class to learn a new skill
Taking a class might bring you some joy.
Beating the holiday blues might come down to learning a skill that helps you feel better about who you are as a person. If you don’t know how to cook, sign up for a cooking class. If you don’t know how to paint, sign up for an art class. If you’re curious about learning a new language, you can try that too. There are plenty of classes to consider that will help you feel like your knowledge is expanding.
Go on a holiday lights tour
Holiday lights are beautiful to see.
During the holiday season, folks love decorating the outsides of their homes with bright lights and decorations. It’s possible you can start squashing feelings of sadness by admiring beautiful lights and decorations on the exterior of your neighbors’ houses. Go on a holiday lights tour by driving your car or walking through some of the more well lit areas.
Experiment with yoga or other mindfulness practices
Yoga is a fabulous mindfulness practice.
It’s beyond important to focus on mindfulness if you’re facing the holiday blues. Getting in control of your negative thoughts is a powerful way to raise your vibration and escape the darkness of depression. Yoga is a wonderful mindfulness practice to think about, but you might also be interested in meditation, breath work, or manifestation journaling. Yoga will always be a popular form of mindful exercise, but what about options? Click here to see the most popular exercise fads every year since 1956.