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Don’t Let the Holidays get you Down

don't let the holidays get you down

November is historically the beginning of the “Holiday Season” with Thanksgiving starting us off at the end of the month. For some, the holidays can be sad, stressful and downright depressing. In this post, I want to discuss ways that you can get rid of the holiday blues and have a more joyful season.

During this time, you want to be gentle with yourself, especially if you have lost a loved one. Grief is a process and that can make holidays more difficult during the first few years after a loss. Start by not pretending that it doesn’t exist. Your life is different now and you don’t have to do the holidays the same way. However, some may find comfort in tradition.

Remember your compassion. Try not to make comparisons. Maintain your positive and healthy coping skills like keeping up with exercise or sticking to your eating plan.

The days are shorter and growing shorter every day until the winter solstice happens and we start gaining daylight again. It seems that we fall back to standard time later and later each year. Despite this, go to the gym, see your friends and visit your family.

Watch your holiday spending. No need to go into large amounts of debt just to give the best gift. The stress of being in debt is greater than just not spending that much money in the first place. Hopefully, you planned and started stocking away holiday money ahead of time. If not, then make a budget and stick to it for buying gifts. Maybe gift to a smaller circle of family and friends or give some baked goods.

Don’t compromise your principals. Often during the holidays, we start consuming more alcohol and other substances that might not be good for us. This can present a problem for some of us. Try not to succumb to peer pressure and know your limits. If you feel you are beginning to have an issue, then seek help. It is ok to pass up an event if it puts you outside your comfort zone.

Learn to recognize a problem when you see it. If you are getting a bad feeling about something, then chances are it is not a good thing. Personal abuse and domestic violence tend to increase during the holidays. If you or a family member need help, please reach out to any of the organizations I have included below.

The best thing to remember is to love each other, be patient with your fellow person and smile and tell them “Happy Holidays.” Often by wishing goodwill to others, we tend to lift our own spirits immensely. Like a mentor once told me, “Smile and be polite” or “kill them with kindness.” You just might be surprised with what you will get back.

For help regarding the use of alcohol and other substances, Schmucker recommends AlAnon (https://al-anon.org) or Alcoholics Anonymous (http://www.aa.org). Local, free meetings are available for both.

FAVOR Greenville offers programs and services that help people achieve and sustain recovery, including a 24-helpline. Visit https://favorgreenville.org or call 864-430-1802.

Domestic violence can increase during the holiday season. Help is available. Visit https://safeharborsc.org or call the 24-hour crisis line at 1-800-291-2139.

Victoria Cottle is a Realtor® in the Greenville South Carolina area and if you, a friend or a family member need assistance with selling or buying a home I can help. Referrals and people needing relocation assistance are welcome! Search Single Family homes in Greenville. Search Condos and Townhomes in Greenville.

Please contact Victoria Cottle by email thevictoriacottlegroup@gmail.com or call (864) 275-3953 for your real estate needs in the Upstate of South Carolina!

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