A Therapist Shares 7 Activities to Get You in The Holiday Spirit
Maybe the holidays are not really feeling very “holiday-y” to you this year. Maybe you had to quarantine (again), maybe you have not seen your family from out of state in a very long time, or maybe you have just generally lost a feel for time since 2020.
The holidays have been so weird for us all, and it can really put us in a funk when we aren’t feeling festive or giddy for traditions we usually enjoy.
Basically… It's a huge bummer!
So, what are some activities you can do to get your holiday spirit back, no matter what your strange or unique situation may be this holiday season?
Make some homemade ornaments and decorations for your space!
There have been a lot of viral videos on how to make homemade ribbons for people’s gifts, how to DIY some more personal, special Christmas tree ornaments, and how to turn your old pumpkins into a snowman. Get crafting!
Do some holiday baking
No matter what you are celebrating this holiday season, you can always do some holiday baking to get yourself in the mood. Listen to some holiday music, throw on your favorite holiday movie, or simply just turn on the fireplace and get baking! Even better, invite some friends or family over if you are able to safely spend time together and bake with them.
3. Host a holiday party
Have some friends over for some holiday inspired cocktails, treats, and fun. Make it more interesting by including a White Elephant or a Pollyanna. You could even have it be themed and have everyone dress up. If you are not comfortable with this, have a holiday party via zoom or FaceTime. If you’re social distance partying, decorate your background and dress up! Make it feel real.
4. Shop for a real Christmas Tree this year.
Bring the family or whoever you live with and go buy a real tree from your local store. Sometimes shopping for a real tree can make all the difference. Plus, it can be a new tradition, and this is also something you can safely do no matter the situation with Covid.
5. Do a Secret Santa gift exchange with family or friends.
This is different than White Elephant or Pollyanna because you would be pulling a name out of a hat and shopping for someone specific. However, this is definitely something you can still do regardless of if you are social distancing or quarantining for the holidays this year, because you do not need to physically be in-person for the exchange. Wrap it up and leave it at your friend or sibling’s front door! Have a zoom call after where you try to guess who your Secret Santa was!
6. A winter getaway
There are plenty of ski lodges and indoor resorts that are following necessary steps to keep their guests safe this holiday season. All of which have a festive, holiday feel. Whatever you need to do to feel some level of normalcy this year! Take a short vacation with a couple of friends or your family! You deserve it!
7. Decorate a gingerbread house
This one is great for a household with kids, but still a lot of fun even for adults. Sometimes it’s just nice to do something festive in the name of holiday traditions, even if you don’t care for gingerbread. You can even make it interesting by turning it into a challenge, and have friends/family vote for which one is the best.
Creating new holiday traditions or participating in some extra festive activities may really help you feel a sense of excitement this holiday season if you don’t.
It’s okay to not be okay right now.
If this past year and a half has been especially rough on your mental health, and you feel like you may be in need of some extra support, please reach out to one of our therapists and schedule a consultation today.
