Are you all doom and gloom because it’s holiday time…again?  Is the Christmas Carol your favorite story or movie because you agree with it?

If you feel depressed or grouchy all year round, you probably need more than this blog.  But if life just seems particularly tough at Christmas, let’s see what we can do about that.

Do you know why you don’t like the holidays?  List some of them out in your head or on paper.  Too commercial, all alone, Santa, big expectations, greed, too expensive…?  Or maybe you are just grouchy that people are ONLY nice at the holiday season.  Which reasons are yours?

Now take a few minutes and see why you DO like the holidays?  Do you get a few days off of work?  Maybe you like the joy or love shining in certain people?  The generosity if you look for it, family coming together…

Now realize, that these are all just opinions and your choice how you feel about them.  You have the power to change how you feel about the holidays or anything else!

If the gift and commercial thing is too much, maybe you discuss with your family just giving one gift to each child and doing a name draw for the adults so each adult only has to buy a nice gift for one adult.  Many people are doing this and it especially works well for large families.

If the greed and expectations are too much, maybe you keep the cost down and have a limit on what everyone can spend.

But if you have no family or you are alone and the reason you hate Christmas is you see everyone celebrating together, you can choose to change this too.  First, if you end up on your own over the holidays, treat yourself!  Take a trip somewhere cool alone or with another friend who has nothing to do.  If you stay home, practice self-love and pamper yourself! Do all the things you love you don’t have time for usually: a movie marathon; order food in from a fancy restaurant; a bubble bath; read your favorite book again, or just one you’ve been meaning to read; buy yourself lots of presents and open them whenever you like; have a tree and decorate it and the house if it cheers you up; so many options.  And if you want to be with a group, check with your friends to see if anyone is having an orphan Christmas, where they invite everyone that has no one to celebrate with; check on line or simply ask a friend you know is alone to enjoy your pampered day or season partially with you.

Ultimately how you react to the holiday season really is a choice unless you are chronically depressed.  My wish for you is to choose wisely and find joy for yourself in any way you can through the holiday season and always.