How to get over the Holiday Season Blues • Style by Carise

Many people get the holiday season blues for a number of reasons. The holidays are coming and some people may not be as excited as others this year. They may be far away from family, they may have lost a job, or they may be experiencing the loss of a loved one.

Personally, I love the holidays. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. Thanksgiving was my favorite time to go to my grandmother Nora’s house. No ONE could cook like her. I’m not just saying this because she is my grandmother. She was literally the black Martha Stuart. lol. All of her food was perfect, pretty and delicious.

My holiday blues are here for the first time this year because she is no longer with us. Our family has had some major losses, losing her and my grandfather in the beginning of this year.

As I try to cope with the grief and the change, I can’t help but wonder…

Will the holidays ever be the same?

I honestly planned to tuck myself away under a blanket for the entire holiday season, but I’ve came up with a few tips to try bring myself out of the holiday blues this season.

Go to holiday parties

If your job, your family, your co-workers, or your friends invite you to a holiday party, GO! If you stay inside, you will only think about the loss or the sadness you are feeling. Try to surround yourself with positive people and people who you love.

Eat good and sleep good

So, for Thanksgiving I really didn’t want the “traditional” Thanksgiving food this year because it would only disappoint me. I do, however, plan on eating some comfort food and relaxing. This is the time of year to eat comfort food, feel really warm inside, and have a really good sleep. I will probably end up treating myself to a bucket of crab legs. If you like seafood like I do and you are feeling the blues, I think you should indulge too. You deserve it!

Serve Others

The most effective way to make yourself feel better is to put a smile on someone elses face. Helping other people tends to give us a sense of purpose and satisfaction. This season, volunteer at a soup kitchen, serve at your church, give a gift to a random person, or choose a family member to bless with a gift or some money. Serving other people will remind you that even if you do not feel the best, you matter to someone else. You can still make a difference and brighten up someone else’s day.

Laugh!

Laughter will definitely help you come out of a sad place. Try to watch some funny holiday movies. Some of my favorites include:

You can also go to a holiday comedy show. It’s nice to dress up and go out. Find a friend, family member, or your significant other and go out to a comedy club. Laughter is one the best feel good natural remedies to relieve stress.

Create a new tradition

Do something fun for the holidays that you have never done before. Bake some cookies, go ice skating, drive around and look at the holiday lights, or have holiday game night at your house. An awesome idea that I would like to plan for future holidays is to invite family and friends to a cabin and have Christmas there. Doing something positive outside of your, “Normal”, could really help you move forward with the major changes happening in your life.

My new tradition is to really decorate the inside of my home. It’s hard for me to stay in a sad place when my home looks like a winter wonderland. It also gives me another excuse to do my favorite things; DIY and Crafting!

You could also start a tradition to honor your loved one who is no longer with you. Do something they loved to do. Cook something they loved to cook. Talk about the good times you had with them. Celebrate them.

Just try your best

These are a few quick tips on how to overcome the holiday blues this year. You are not alone if you feel sadness this holiday season. It is definitely a challenge for me this year. It can be so easy to slip into a deep sadness and depression, but you must try to fight it. Try your best to push through and have a little holiday cheer, even if it’s for a moment. You can do it! If you want to cry that’s totally okay too. I’m a cry baby, so I think you should go for it! 😉

Much love, prayers and blessings to you this holiday season.
Love, Carise