Mental Health Corner: 3 Tips to Survive the Holidays Away From Family

The holidays are the time where you gather with your family and spend quality time together, you reminisce with or  relax around people you know. You are usually in your comfort zone, and if you aren’t, you’re usually too full to care. You wait all year for your grandmother’s special desserts or your mom’s casserole. Sometimes, however circumstances don’t allow you to be around family for a holiday.

When Mychal and I lived in North Carolina, all of the managers, including him, had moved there from Alabama. So, of course, everyone wanted to go home for the holidays. His store only closed for one day for Thanksgiving and two days for Christmas. This meant that not everyone could leave at once. In order to give everyone a fair amount of family time, we had to split the holidays. Mychal’s family usually takes a trip right after Christmas, so we chose to go home for Christmas instead of Thanksgiving. This was a bit of an adjustment for us, but it turned out much better than we expected.

This may not be easy, especially if this is your first time away for the holidays. But whether it be school, work, or adventure that keeps you away, it is possible to still have a good holiday season.

#1: Surround yourself with holiday cheer.

Even if it’s not your thing, surround yourself with something that reminds you of being home. I decked out apartment out in Fall decor for Thanksgiving and Christmas decor for Christmas. I lit candles and played Christmas music. It was probably overkill for some, but those are the things I like most about the holidays so I didn’t leave them out just because I wasn’t home. This is also probably the most affordable option. Grab some things from the dollar store and brighten up your mood.

#2: Connect with friends.

We didn’t have a bunch of friends in North Carolina since we’d just moved there but I made sure to connect with the ones I did have, and even some of the employees at Mychal’s job. For one, this will give you that personal interaction with people that you’re used to for the holidays. Go out for a friends-giving dinner or exchange small gifts for Christmas. Or just get together and have a genuinely good time. It’s probably inevitable that some of your friends will want to do this too.

#3 Host your own dinner.

I am the hosting type, I love it. I get to go all out with cooking and planning and decorating, all things that I love. But if you aren’t, grab some other people who need a place to go for the holidays and have a potluck. Bring your favorite holiday dish, or the drinks(you always need more drinks). This ensures that you don’t miss out on that holiday dinner, and it gives others who have nowhere to go a place to celebrate.

Realistically, celebrating away from family won’t be easy. These things won’t make you forget about what you’re missing out on. However, this will ensure that your aren’t sulking in a boat of sadness in the sea of despair. They will make it a just a little bit easier to get through the holidays.