12/1/20
MINIMIZE & MANAGE THE HOLIDAY EMOTIONAL COST:
Let’s face it. Many things about 2020 have had a tremendous cost to us when it comes to our emotional wellness. One of the larger emotional price tags has been the inability to be around those we love and usually see throughout the year. Believe it or not, the 2020 holiday season is already here….and in full swing. Here we are, having already celebrated Thanksgiving…..with Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s approaching quickly..!!! All these holidays, much like most of 2020, will likely look a bit different this year for you and those you usually celebrate with. And while we did celebrate Thanksgiving, and soon the others, the difference is certainly at a cost…particularly when it comes to the emotional cost of not seeing or being around those we normally would be.
ACCEPT: Start here. Begin by accepting this year as different, and therefore, the holidays will be different. Accept the reality of the pandemic, and your inability to change this reality. Accept your needs and your immediate family needs to do what will keep you safe, healthy, and relaxed. Acceptance gets a bad rap. It is often times perceived as weak and as a “loss”. Acceptance can be quite the opposite. It can be, and should be utilized in this context as, a strong pivot-point for combating the emotional cost during the holiday.
EXPECT: Accepting will allow you to set reasonable expectations and goals for what you want the holidays to be this year. Expect them to be different. Expect the emotions that will show up during the holidays at times (particularly disappointment and sadness). Identify them, internally and externally, when you feel them. Verbalize these emotions to your loved ones. This allows you to purge them and get on with enjoying the more positive holiday emotions.
CONNECT: Plan to utilize what you can to connect with those you are unable to be with. This means virtual calls for….holiday sharing, opening presents, singing, praying, game-playing, or even eating “together”…all virtually. Maximize the benefits of facetime, zoom, skype, or whatever mode suites you and your loved ones best. Plan and do not wait for others to take the lead.
CREATE: Along with connecting, be creative with the circumstances we have been given. Of course, we all see the negative side to the pandemic and how it is limiting us. Attempt to see and capitalize on the positive. Take the opportunity to do something new and different you would not normally do or even think to do if it were not for these times. Create new, one-time traditions or new traditions for future holidays as well.