The holidays can be a challenging season for many. Remember if you are struggling emotionally this holiday season – you are NOT ALONE. Two of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves are gratitude and grace.
There’s an old song that is often heard during the last two months of the year: “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays.”
“Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam
If you want to be happy in a million ways
For the holidays, you can’t beat home sweet home.”
It is a song with a very happy, upbeat tempo, and it conveys a positive message of family, food, travel, and the holidays. It conveys happy memories for many people.
Yet, at the same time, it can contrast these happy memories of the past with the stark memories of loved ones who either cannot be physically present or who have passed away.
There are many ways that people may try to deal with the feelings of loss associated with the holiday season:
- Some decide to isolate.
- Some choose to self-medicate.
- Some try to suffer gallantly.
- Some plow themselves into staying busy.
What can you do to have a more fulfilling and joyous holiday season?
Karl Menninger was a world-famous medical doctor whose specialty was psychiatry. For decades he worked with people who were depressed or anxious. He was once asked what action he would recommend if a person were to feel a nervous breakdown coming on: “Lock up your house, go across the railroad tracks, and find someone in need, and do something for them.”
This is a time that you can look out for those who are isolated, those who have been left alone, those who have undergone loss in life, or those who have had difficult changes in their life.
Send them a card sharing your knowledge of their situation.
Call them and talk with them.
Meet them for coffee.
Invite them over – particularly to be with you and your family over the holidays.
Give them something – a small token or gift.
Go visit them.
Do something for them.
Do or give something in their honor.
If you are the one who is suffering with grief, there are several things you can do:
- Force yourself to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating and drinking properly.
- Force yourself to get the appropriate amount of sleep each night.
- Force yourself to get out of your house on a daily basis.
- Call or check on others who have also suffered loss.
- Be involved in your faith community.
- Practice your spiritual disciplines.
- Contact your health care provider and/or counselor when you are not doing well.
- Be physically active.
We hope your holiday season is one filled with peace, love, joy, and rejuvenation. However, just remember if you are struggling emotionally this holiday season – you are NOT ALONE. Two of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves are gratitude and grace.
Written by:
John Klimko, Jr., LMFT (Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, EnSpire Counseling & Wellness)
Leah McMillan, DPA, LMFT, CFRC (Founder/Owner/Clinical Therapist, EnSpire Counseling & Wellness)
*We at EnSpire Counseling & Wellness are available if you would like to talk with someone this holiday season – you can contact us at 229-262-1000.