How to be happier through the holidays

How to be happier through the holidays

For many of us, Christmas and the holidays bring a little magic and joy back in to our lives. For too many of us, there is still hurt and suffering that grows more intolerable this time of year. There are, however, some things we can do to care for ourselves, and maybe just end our own suffering, even for just long enough to celebrate the season of joy.

We have to understand why are we upset and hurting.

  • Is it missing a loved one who died this year?
  • Is it related to growing up in an abusive family?
  • Is it a chemical depression?

When we have an understanding of our situation, we can accurately tackle what is going on and make good decisions based on that knowledge.

Do not be alone with this. People are built to be social creatures, so being around others can do a lot to improve our moods and help us think more clearly. It does not matter the number of people, but just having a couple people we can be with does a tremendous amount to lift up our joy.

Practice radical gratitude. There is a strong chance any of us reading this have things going for us. It may simply be thinking we have really good hair, or it may be the pride of being a doctor, or anything in between, but being grateful, and identifying those things we are grateful for, can and will help soothe a lot of the hurt we may experience. Thinking of three things to be grateful for, once a day, first thing in the morning as part of our morning rituals is a good way to start any day.

Now is also a good time to think about stopping any bad habits we have, like abusing alcohol or cigarettes or other destructive habits. While it’s important to do new things to help us feel better during the holidays, it’s also vital that we stop doing the things that are actively hurting us. These can ruin our lives, and can ruin health, families, and the holidays we are supposed to be celebrating. We all have bad habits, things we do that really do not help us anymore, if they ever did, and now is a great opportunity to drop those bad habits.

Doing even these things will help many of us overcome the holiday blues.

They sound simple, but some of the suggestions may take some time and practice. If we all take some time to care for ourselves and each other, understanding what the problems may be and not withdrawing, we will slowly remember the joy of the season and be part of the holidays with our friends and loved ones.

College of Allied Educators offers our Counselling Psychology programmes, training you  to help yourself and others towards a happier life.

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