It’s OK! You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing.

So, the festivities have begun, the lights are up, trees are decorated and every radio station rings out loud and clear with Christmas carols. As the days rapidly pass by you find yourself becoming more and more uneasy, angry and withdrawn. whenever you stepped outside you are blinded by your neighbors Christmas lights and you think I really should put up my Christmas decorations, but there’s a knot in your stomach and deep down there’s pain. A feeling of loneliness and self- doubt have trapped you, and every time you think of Christmas unsettling emotions chokes out any feelings of being happy. There are so many factors to emotions and loneliness that are displayed during the holiday season. You could be dealing with the loss of a loved one, the ending of a marriage, the thought that another year is ending and you are still alone, the goals you set at the beginning of the year are still just goals. There are many other reasons, and emotions and feelings get affected by our inability to cope during the holidays.

The truth is you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. It is ok to have these emotions, you don’t have to deck out your house for Christmas, you don’t have to climb the roof and stick the reindeer on top of the house. You don’t have to entertain family and friends; you don’t even have to send out holiday cards.

What you must do is to find out what’s causing you pain, what’s causing that uneasy feeling deep in the pit of your stomach. Take some time and look within your heart. Sometimes all you need to do is to be attentive to yourself, listen closer. Know when you need help, asked yourself if this is something you can handle on your own, be honest. Reach out to a friend or a counselor and most importantly be open to change. It might be painful, you might cry or scream, but there will be a change and before long you will start to regain some of the joy you’ve lost.

So, forget what everyone else is doing right now, recognized and accept your situation, open your heart and make a plan of action. Tell yourself that this is the last year you are going to have these negative feelings. When you do this, fear, loneliness, sorrow, brokenness, all these things will no longer have control over you. It’s time to celebrate you and to celebrate the season.