Just like a lot of things these days, the holidays will be different this year. Extended family get-togethers are not safe, and our traditions might not look the same as they did in previous years.
Change isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however. As we celebrate the holiday season, we need to prepare for the deviations ahead and develop strategies to cope with departures from tradition.
One of the ways we can do this is to accept that there are things out of our control. When it comes to losing control, it is easy for us to start feeling stress. Accepting that this year will be different does not mean that our traditions are lost; perhaps they are just on hold.
The next way we can handle not meeting expectations this year is to practice more self-care. This is something most of us should do more often, but during the holidays self-care becomes even more essential. Giving yourself a break and doing something you enjoy or haven’t had the time to do before can be helpful. Set a time each day to walk away from your cell phone or other stressors and spend time with the loved ones around you.
Here are some ideas for self-care during this holiday season:
• Read a holiday book. Whether it is a book you already have at home or a book that you have been wanting to read, use this time to slow down and escape in the pages.
• Take a walk or drive around the neighborhood. We can still socially distance from our neighbors while enjoying the Christmas lights around us.
• Watch Christmas movies with the family. Self-care does not necessarily mean “alone time.” Sometimes self-care means spending special quality time with people we love.
• Do something fun or creative. Making cookies or building a gingerbread house can be something you add to your yearly holiday traditions.
• Reach out to other family members. Just because we can’t visit our families in person does not mean we can’t meet with them virtually. Video chat may not be the normal we are looking for, but taking time to check in on each other can help everyone feel more connected.
Another way to handle disappointment is to lower our own expectations. Positive or negative, our expectations can have a big impact on our mental health. Holidays are especially hard when our expectations are based on fond memories from years without pandemic restrictions. However, if we are able to drop our expectations and live in the moment, we may find ourselves enjoying the holidays more than we have in previous years.
The most important thing to remember this year is that we are not alone. We are all in the same boat.
We might find that the holidays during a pandemic are not like they were before, but neither are we. This year has made us more resilient and has shown us strengths we did not know we had before.
Nolan Miller, LSW, is a Youth First social worker. Youth First, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening youth and families. To learn more about Youth First, visit youthfirstinc.org.
The Link LonkDecember 10, 2020 at 01:00PM
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