Everywhere you look, the magazines, the television, movies, and even the radio impresses upon us how important family and your loved ones are during the holiday season. Sometimes it feels like society shoves the need to be coupled up down our throats, it’s no wonder some people dread the holidays.
With the constant barrage of loving couples all over, it can be hard to make it through the holidays with your sanity in check if you’ve recently gone through a divorce.
Ah… But, we are happy to tell you that you can enjoy the holidays even though you’re divorced and single now. You still have your friends and family to celebrate with! Be that as it may, to avoid feeling down this holiday season, you’ll want to avoid these five behaviors if you really want to feel the holiday cheer.
- Don’t surround yourself with things that could get you depressed. This means if you find lovey dovey couples depressing, stay away from them. If you have no other choice but to be around them, you could choose to go to celebrations that you know will put you in a great mood. Always keep in mind that if you aren’t feeling up to spending time with someone or going someplace, simply don’t do it! Save yourself the heartache.
- Don’t let your pride get the best of you. During this time of year, people tend to be in a giving mood. So if all you need is someone to keep you company, you’ll find that people will be more than happy to spend some time with you if it means keeping you from feeling alone and sad. When you let people know that you will be alone this holiday season, they will invite you over to spend the holiday with them. Never turn down an invitation!
- Don’t wallow in your sadness. Yes, you will be sad. Yes, you will be lonely. However, you don’t have to remind yourself over and over of your situation. After all, you are not your loneliness. If you know that your children are happy and are in a safe environment, then that should be reason enough to be cheerful. Sure, it’s not going to be easy, but remember the other aspects of your life that are important to you.
- Don’t be hurtful to the ex. You may still be angry at your ex and feel a strong desire to be rude or hurtful to them, but don’t. It doesn’t do anyone any good and it just sours the whole holiday for you, your ex, and the children. Let’s not forget that what goes around comes around and karma doesn’t play nice.
- Don’t choose alcohol over human contact. If the divorce is still fresh, some people tend to self-medicate, be it alcohol, marijuana, pills, or even over indulging in bad foods, so that they can dull the pain they’re experiencing. These decisions will only hurt you in the long run. Instead of drowning yourself in whatever vice comforts you, tackle your grief head on and try to work through it. You’ll be glad you did when you come out feeling a little better.