Feeling alone around the holiday season can be tough, especially with the strong emphasis on togetherness and group celebrations. There are dozens of scenarios why you may be alone during this time, or your holiday celebrations just look and feel different – divorce, death, falling outs, or family drama may be impacting your season.
Whatever the scenario, feelings of loneliness during this time, while normal, can negatively impact your mental health. Firstly, it’s important to recognize these feelings and then find healthy ways to cope with them. Below is a list of actions to help you get through what is a tough time of year for many people.
- Acknowledge Your Feelings: Instead of pushing your feelings away and ignoring them, acknowledge that you are feeling lonely, and remember that these feelings are temporary. The holidays are tough for many people for many different reasons. You are not alone; your feelings are valid. It is okay to feel lonely. It’s okay to miss people or the way things were. Acknowledge your feelings, while keeping in mind that the holidays don’t last forever, and what you do or don’t do with them doesn’t define who you are or your worth as a person.
- Find a Way to Give Back: It’s great to give back any time of year, but during the holidays it’s particularly meaningful to find ways to connect and help those in your community. Search online for “volunteer opportunities in my area” and see how you can help, maybe at a local soup kitchen, clothing drive, or at your community center. Not only will it provide you with a sense of community, but it will give you a sense of purpose, both of which are proven to help boost mental health and make people feel less alone. It could even be the start of a new yearly holiday tradition.
- Create New Traditions: You can create new traditions at any point in your life, but the holidays are a fun opportunity to shake things up. Think of activities, recipes, anything that you’ve never done before or have always wanted to try. You can tie it into self-care by trying a new art project, recipe, game, or outdoor activity. Maybe you can travel somewhere you’ve never been or treat the holidays as a “staycation” and explore your local area. Base your traditions around where you’re at in life and what may bring you the most joy during this time.
- Reach Out to Others: While it’s normal to be hesitant before reaching out to someone, the majority of the time, that person you reach out to, via phone call, video chat, card or letter, will be happy to hear from you. This is a great time to reach out to a friend or family member that you’ve maybe lost touch with or haven’t checked in with for a while.
- Practice Mindfulness and Self-Care: Along with acknowledging your feelings and trying out the above steps, remember to practice being mindful of changes to your mood. Make time for self-care and do healthy things that help you take care of yourself, mentally and physically. Continue to follow your routine that makes you feel best, whether that’s getting outside, physical activity, getting good sleep, or your skin care regimen.
Remember that even though you may feel lonely, you are not alone. If your loneliness is beginning to severally impact your mental health, always seek help and guidance from a professional health care provider.
Nexus Family Healing is a national nonprofit mental health organization that restores hope for thousands of children and families who come to us for community mental health services, foster care and adoption, and residential treatment. For over 50 years, our network of agencies has used innovative, personalized approaches to heal trauma, break cycles of harm, and reshape futures. We believe every child is worth it — and every family matters. Access more resources at nexusfamilyhealing.org/resources.