The holidays are a time for gatherings, festivities, celebrations, togetherness, and the like, but for many, this time of year creates a loneliness and longing for our loved ones who are with us in spirit and memory. We can be joyful, but there is often a sadness hidden under the surface of a smile. If you are experiencing grief, loneliness, isolation, and just down-right blah, there are some key coping mechanism you can tap into to help carry you through the holiday season.
First and foremost, recognize how you are feeling and allow yourself to experience your emotion. Ignoring it or stuffing it down with endless holiday treats will only add to the eruption of despair. By identifying your feelings and by giving yourself permission to feel whatever it is you are feeling, you are permitting yourself to take the first step towards self-care and healing. Allow yourself to cry, sleep, seek comfort of others, and feel the emotion(s). It can be cathartic and releasing! Next, find something that brings you a bit of comfort. Perhaps you enjoy art, music, writing, baking, reading, etc. Whatever that “joy” is, tap into it and allow yourself to work through your emotion(s) and feeling(s) at the pace that is beneficial for you.
We often feel like we are never going to “get over” the grief or loneliness. That is a valid feeling and thought, and perhaps we can look at it like this. We made it another moment, another day, another week, another year, etc. There is no “getting over” anything, but rather, learning to adjust with how to live life within each moment. We have succeeded this far in managing our complex thoughts and emotions. Isn’t that worth acknowledging?
I cannot say the process is easy, but it is doable. We are stronger than we give ourselves credit for, and we must stop and recognize our strength and resilience. Be kind to yourselves. Be forgiving of yourselves. Be who you are in the very moment. Be you! You may be sad. You may feel isolated. You may be lonely, but you are also, brave, courageous, persevering, and wonderfully you, so for this holiday season, perhaps the great gift you can give is to shower yourself with the love that resides in your heart. You are deserving of that and more.
