The holidays can bring up so many feelings in us: joy, hope, and anticipation. It can also bring up other feelings such as: depression, sadness and loneliness. Maybe you are grieving the loss of a loved one, maybe a relationship recently ended or possibly you are not where you thought you would be at this point in your life. How can you enjoy the holiday spirit when feeling this way?
Michael and I struggled with this very thing last season. Because of an illness I developed, we weren’t able to spend time with anyone with children or anyone expecting children. This only added salt to an already very fresh wound, as we had been trying to start a family of our own. We felt isolated, alone, hurt, betrayed, sad, and angry. Ultimately we needed to get out of the house; the walls had begun to close in on us and amplify our feelings. After being sick and tired of being sick and tired, we decided to actively battle our feelings. We identified areas of our lives that we are thankful for and challenged one another to just get out and enjoy our favorite time of year (baked, looked at Christmas lights, searched for the perfect gifts, watched holiday movies, etc.).
Holiday tip #3 is to Reach Out & Get Out by doing something you enjoy: go people watching at the mall, invite a friend to coffee, get a mani/pedi to pamper yourself, make a list and call those you love. Loneliness is such a difficult feeling but our feelings aren’t always truthful. Michael and I felt alone, however the reality was we weren’t alone. When we actively challenged our feelings, we were able to experience the abundance of love and support from our friends and family. This holiday season, don’t let your feelings of sadness or loneliness rob you of joy, battle your feelings by reaching out and getting out.
Tiffany w/ some help from Michael 🙂
