Not-So-Happy Holidays: Navigating Isolation Through the Holiday Season
Do you feel alone and disconnected more than ever during this time of manufactured happiness? Chances are you are not alone. Let’s navigate this together.
The holidays can be a stressful and isolating time only to be amplified by all the forced cheer and high-pressure happiness in the air. The capitalistic messaging around thriving relationships, and the unrealistic expectations of perfect holiday parties and flawless family bonding can trigger feelings of even more loneliness – but this sentiment is more common than you may think. According to a 2022 survey, 55% of Americans experience the holiday blues.
Here are a few ways you can use the holiday season to reclaim your time and recalibrate in a way that is sincere to you:
Switch off social media
According to a study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, being bombarded with other people’s highlight reels can lead to depressive symptoms and severe feelings of isolation. Although social comparison is nothing new, the constantly available stream of everyone’s happy gatherings and expensive gifts just one scroll away can be exhausting. Take this time to log off, forget the world and focus on your self-care: read a good book, learn a new recipe, devote time to exercise, ask yourself what little moments in a day will make you happy.
Manage your expectations
Culture dictated that holidays have to be a certain way for them to be considered successful, but what if we throw out that notion and redefine the “holiday spirit”. That could mean taking a trip alone, or it could mean normalizing doing absolutely nothing. According to Very Well Mind, having unrealistic expectations can contribute to increased feelings of anxiety, dissatisfaction and difficulty coping with symptoms. So try this before the holidays come roaring at you this year: write down your own expectations for this time. What do you want? Perhaps that means less family time, ditching rituals that no longer serve you or creating new ones that actually bring joy.
Tap in to your creativity
Every individual has different needs, from financial to social, and the stress of this season can exacerbate them. Take stock of your situation and use your creativity. If you are dealing with financial stress this holiday, like 70% of Americans are, make it a gift-free one – tell your friends and family that this year it’s exclusively homemade cards or a phone call. Remember that every holiday is a new year with new needs. Take a moment to update old blueprints that may be outdated, and make them relevant for your year ahead. See if you can make this holiday about filling you up instead of fulfilling obligations.
Talk to a therapist
There are countless triggers around the holidays. Everything from being in a room full of flowing alcohol while battling addiction to concerns around body image while surrounded by food to navigating tense family relationships. Speaking to an expert and preparing yourself for what’s to come in a safe way is a crucial way to step into the holidays with a sense of power and confidence amidst the anxiety.
Services Offered At Repose Therapy
At Repose Therapy, our goal is to provide the best HOLISTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY services among other evidence-based therapy services to you. We enjoy working with college students, mothers, parents, couples, and individuals who are seeking better mental wellness in their life. If you’re struggling or trying to find a way to move forward, then our DIVERSE TEAM OF THERAPISTS would be thrilled to work with you. If grief counseling isn’t the service you’re seeking, no worries. We offer other services at our ONLINE THERAPY OFFICE IN NEW YORK, CONNECTICUT, AND NEW JERSEY. Other services include EMDR THERAPY, ANXIETY TREATMENT, PTSD TREATMENT, AND TRAUMA THERAPY, THERAPY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH, MARRIAGE COUNSELING AND COUPLES THERAPY, THERAPY FOR TEENS, LGBTQIA+ THERAPY, ART THERAPY, DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY.
Additionally, we offer many GROUPS at our practice including an adult DBT skills group MANAGING EMOTIONS WITH DBT and Art Therapy, MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY, EMBRACING YOUR BODY, and a Ramadan group. If you’re interested in any of our other services, please reach out, we cannot wait to work with you as you improve your well-being and begin your journey towards healing.