Not Feeling the Holiday Spirit? A Therapist's Guide to Surviving the Season

Others can feel plagued by them, afflicted by the family gatherings and financial pressure often accompanying the holidays.

This year, many may be somewhere in between.

Feeling joyless in a season where joy is expected can be especially isolating.

This time of year can also be risky.

So, what do you do if youre feeling like the Grinch?

Roll your sleeves upwere going to get real, find some support, and make a game plan.

Take Inventory

Lets begin by pinpointing what is causing you the most turmoil.

But others might have a harder time discerning what is going on.

Begin tracking how youre feeling on the day-to-day.

Doing this lets you see a pattern of what may be activating yournegative feelings.

Youve got your triggers written down lets make a plan.

If youre part of a12-step program, you may want to up your meeting attendance.

Even just letting someone you trust know that youre thinking about picking up can be helpful.

Lets take it a step further.

Hosting can be another costly issue with the holidays.

Simply avoiding holiday gatherings altogether isnt possible for most.

Instead, see how you might shift the tradition.

Can you bring a friend along for moral support?

Or, consider bookending your attendance by planning something that feels good right after the event.

Be honest with yourself will engaging with family members cause youharm?

If so, are you avoiding it because you fear setting a boundary?

It isnt uncommon to engage in unhealthy behavior to avoid hard conversations and boundary-setting.

Choose which version of hard is more likely to lead you to the outcome youre hoping for.

Support doesn’t only meantherapy sessionsor support groups.

It also means rethinking how you support yourself.

Get honest about yoursleep hygiene,diet, and daily choices.

When discussing the woes of the holiday season with clients, I underscore the importance of taking action.

We dont owe holiday spirit to anyone but we do owe truth, care, and honesty to ourselves.

Guenzel N, McChargue D.Addiction relapse prevention.Treasure Island, FL.

StatPearls Publishing; 2022.

National Institute on Mental Health.Seasonal Affective Disorder.

National Heart, Lung, and Brain Institute.How Sleep Affects Your Health.