With the Chrislamakwanzaakah season in full throttle, we are inundated by holiday songs and invitations to be merry with our co-workers, family and friends. Our offices have wreaths on their door and the army of Santas have been dispatched to malls everywhere for kids to come sit in their laps and tell them what they want for Christmas. There are trees to decorate, candy canes to eat and presents to wrap, all the while maintaining a demeanor of holiday cheer.
T'is the season to be jolly...allegedly.
But for many, the holiday season represents more pain than pleasure. While some of us are out there enjoying our figgy pudding and sneaking kisses under the mistletoe, there are an equal number of people who have decided that this time of year is better spent with the shades drawn and their heads buried under the covers until January 2nd. Bah humbug and a merry f*#k you.
There are many factors that contribute to the holiday blues*. For a lot of people, it stems from childhood and how the holidays were (or were not) celebrated. We can talk a good game about how the holidays are about being with family and friends, blah, blah, blah, but when you're a kid, it's all about the presents. If you grew up in a family with limited resources, this time of year is a bright, shining reminder of what you didn't (or still don't) have. If your childhood in general was a morass of suckitude, the heightened atmosphere of familial connectedness can easily take you into depressed mode as you remember all that sucked, particularly around this time of year. Here are some other possibilities:
1. You don't like your family and all the fakery and pretending is very stressful.
2. Santa-phobia.
3. You hate shopping for presents.
4. You're far away from your family and can't afford to get home.
5. You have to work on all the days everyone has off.
6. Holidays = cold as hell outside.
7. You don't believe in the commercialization of the holidays but feel forced to buy presents for people you don't even half like and it's your hard money that you're begging "the man" to give you just so you can give it back to "the man" for people you don't even like.
8. All your favorite shows are interrupted by holiday specials and old Christmas cartoons.
9. Grandma got run over by a reindeer.
So what should one do to overcome the holiday blues? 2 words - spiked eggnog. Just kidding (but only because I don't like eggnog, I prefer mulled wine).
It's okay to be in a holiday funk, especially if your life (and finances) are currently in a disarray. But there are a few things that make the holiday season at least a little bit bearable:
1. All the sales!
2. Your favorite mochachocolattacino now comes in peppermint and eggnog flavor.
3. Seeing your boss hammered at the office holiday party.
4. No work for at least a day or two (or more if you're super lucky).
5. Spending time with your friends (aka your family of choice).
6. Mulled wine. (No, seriously, it's really good.)
7. Skiing.
8. Ugly holiday sweater party.
9. All the desserts people bring to work.
10. The gym is virtually empty because people want to make their New Year's weight-loss resolution really worth it.
11. Mr. Hanky, the Christmas Poo.
See, there is happiness to be found in the holiday season! You just may have to look a little harder to find it. I mean seriously, who can resist the charms of Mr. Hanky?!
Anyway, if you do find yourself to be in a bah humbug mood this season, I strongly encourage you to stay away from malls, reindeer and little people that wear pointy shoes and help Santa make toys.
Happy holidays!
*If you find that your holiday funk starts to bleed into the new year, you may be experiencing something more serious and you should talk about with your health provider or therapist.
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