5 Ways To Add Perspective To Your Holiday Season

by Markus Fortune

A Workshop In Self Care & Mindfulness

The Holiday Season is difficult for many, regardless of what any one person celebrates during these trying times.  The American Psychological Association (APA) found that a large portion of individuals (an overwhelming 80% or 4 out of 5 adults) say they would use words like “fun”, “Joyous”, or “exciting” to describe the holiday season (American Psychological Association, 2023).  On the other hand, almost as many people (63% of people) instead refer to the holiday season as “stressful”, “overwhelming”, or “exhausting” (American Psychological Association, 2023).

Depending on our situation and based on these figures, the argument for or against the holiday season is hard to make.  Entering adulthood and my time as a facilitator has shown me that we lose a lot of the spark usually associated with the holiday season for a lot of reasons. Each of us has a reason why we lose that spark.  I would like to illuminate 5 ways we can rediscover old ways we can enjoy the holiday season and discover new ways we can add excitement to our holiday seasons at little to no cost and applicable to any holiday celebrations.

1. Re-Break The Ice!

Breaking the ice can be hard to do to begin with.  Re-breaking the ice is a concept I learned of a few years ago from a friend.  They wanted to reach out to me but found it hard to do so.  Re-breaking the ice can be a great way to make the holiday season less lonely.  Reaching out to family members, friends, acquaintances that we might have lost touch with can be tough.  The hardest part can be that first message or phone call.  What do you say? What do you talk about?  These can be hard questions to answer when we are about to talk to someone we have not talked to in a long time.  We do not know until we try, right? Take that first step!

2. Give What You Can!  

We all have things around our homes that we have not touched, looked at, or even thought about in a long time.  Those items could mean a lot to someone who desperately needs them.  A sweater, a set of mixing bowls, an unopened package of socks.  The things we forget we own could be the missing ingredient to an amazing holiday season.  Giving does not have to be huge or expensive.   Giving the unseen can be a great way to add a little spark to someone’s holiday season.  A smile, a kind gesture, a compliment.  These small acts of kindness go a long way in 2024.

3. Look Up!

We might have heard the phrase “keep your head down and keep moving”.  Something helpful to tell ourselves during hard times to get through them.  When the hard times continue, we might get used to keeping our heads down and moving forward hoping for that next good moment to look up at and enjoy.  These moments are there.  We just need to look up and find them.  Whether it’s a serene arrangement of lights, a creative assortment of crafts from our favorite vendor, or snow falling and blowing against the light of a lamp post that makes the snow look like falling stars.  These moments can be gifts just for you.  Something to savor for the next time we feel like there is not any beauty in the world.

4. Treat Yourself!

The pressure to give during the holiday season can be a lot.  To the point where we lose ourselves in all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  Giving yourself a gift can be all you need to give this holiday season.  Get yourself that coat you have had your eye on, splurge on that video game console you have been wanting a long time, or buy yourself something smaller like a nice meal or some other special treat.  Giving yourself gifts is as important, if not more, than giving gifts to others.  We are allowed to treat ourselves from time to time, if not more often.  This is not a selfish act.  This act is one to give ourselves a boost or what we really need.  Seeing to our needs is important for our overall happiness and mental health.

5. The Gift Of Permission

Much like dancing like nobody's watching, it can be difficult to allow ourselves to enjoy life.  Whether we feel like we do not have the time to enjoy ourselves or maybe we feel like we will look silly for enjoying something new.  Be open to not only trying new experiences, but enjoying them.  Finding new happiness can be a wonderful gift to give ourselves.  When this seems like something difficult to do, ask yourself “Am I robbing myself of a happy experience?”. Of course we should always remember our limitations and be safe when we are trying new things and branching out with our interests.

Sappy might be the first thing coming to mind reading this list.  Rest assured that the feeling is a bit mutual.  These are practices I myself also felt sappy and apprehensive about trying.  Moving past that is difficult.  Nonetheless, allow yourself to try at least one item from this list this holiday season.  Ask yourself “why not?”.  If what you try does not work for you, then you have found one way that does not work for you.  Try again! You owe it to yourself to try.