Do you ever feel melancholy during the holidays?
Have you ever wondered how (or why) those around you are so merry and bright?
I do and periodically it makes me want to push cheerful types right into oncoming traffic.
I think it’s pretty common to get the blues this time of the year, or at least I hope so. Well, maybe not the pushing part.
There’s a lot of pressure that comes with the holiday season: over commercialization that begins the day after Halloween, finding the perfect gifts, figuring out to pay for them, taking the perfect photo for your family holiday card, getting them in the mail, decorating your home top to bottom, creating (or maintaining) all those warm and wonderful traditions, etc., etc., etc.
The holidays also mark the end of the year and maybe you haven’t accomplished all that you had hoped to and that’s a tough realization.
This time of the year is meant to be spent with your loved ones, but perhaps you live miles apart and can’t be together or they are no longer with us and the memory of them is easier to conjure.
Maybe there are other reasons that are contributing to your sadness; financial hardship, family feuds, frustrations at work, no job to speak of, it’s too cold, or no special “someone” in your life.
My losses and heartaches are no different than yours, but during this time of the year when To Do lists are long and patience is short, they are a little too close to the surface.
I know that this overwhelming feeling will soon pass and nothing will be sweeter than turning the page on the calendar to a fresh new year full of possibilities.
In the meantime, I am trying not to overindulge or run myself ragged, doing my best to keep up with my exercise routine and taking on each task one at a time. Trust me, I am NOT always this productive.
Whatever your woes, try to find something this holiday season to make you smile and press on. It’ll be over soon and you don’t want to miss it!
Would this help?
Do you experience holiday blues? How do you manage your stress level?
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I’m sorry this is a hard time of the year for you. I hope you can ease through the rest of year with your awesome boy and husband.
I do have the best men in my life! 🙂
He looks so happy in front of the tree.
I get the holiday blues sometimes, especially if the weather is bad. It’s hard to turn them away but I find spending time with the kids instead of stressing helps.
Lucas is a God send in that regard… hence the fun holiday projects and photos.
I do experience holiday blues . . . it’s a time when absolutely everything is moving way too fast (and, year by year, it seems to be moving faster). All I want is a moment to catch my breath, but if I actually get a moment, I spend it catching up on the bazillion other things that go around.
Then, I realize that time is moving even faster . . . and, well, I feel truly insignificant. I know people love me — but, well, it’s bad when you need to remind yourself of that.
Something tells me, though, Tonya, that when you see that smile at the Christmas tree, that “someone loves you” lesson is a bit easier to learn 🙂
Yes, if it could all just slow down, I’d be a lot happier. The rush rush rush is overwhelming.
Luckily, my son is a bright shining light in my life!
Holy Huge Cookie, Batman!
Sorry, I got distracted. Food does that to me lately.
Yup, we have definitely experienced the holiday blues. Last year was different. Last year the holidays seemed perfect. And then? Cort’s gramps died on Christmas Day. And instead of ruining the holidays for us, something clicked in us. Something about family and togethernes and all that we have (even if during the rest of the year we stress and feel it’s not enough) just came together.
I guess I am one of those overly-cheery people now.
Plus…food! 🙂
The ooey gooey yumminess of holiday treats always helps!
Watch out for that truck. 🙂
I used to let the stress of the holidays get to me…until the birth of my girls. Now I just focus on their excitement and joy and let it fill me with the holiday spirit. It’s funny…I actually wrote a post about it today.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Yes, children make all the difference in the world. Trying to see the holidays through their eyes is so important.
Off to check out your post…
Thanks for this post. I have been cursed with the holiday blues but at the same time blessed in so many unexpected ways this holiday season. It is all about reflecting and the start of something new with the new year.
Agreed! It definitely is a time to reflect on all the goodness in our lives and look forward too.
I totally get the holiday blues. So I totally understand. It’s hard to be up, up, up for 6 weeks!
With wine? No really, I try to start shopping early so I do not get overwhelmed and cranky the closer it gets to Christmas. That and try to delegate to hubby a little bit. Oh, and the wine helps too.
That comes and goes for me too. Luckily I don’t have perfectionist tendencies about Christmas.
I get mixed feelings about X’Mas. I love the joy I catch in the girls eyes when decorating our home, or posting their letters to Santa : ) I’m so happy you have Lucas to get you into the Christmas spirit!
I can’t believe another X’Mas is here though. This year zoomed by. I still have X’Mas gifts to shop for, our suitcases to pack, the girls to entertain as they are on their summer hols… I don’t know were to start! I know I could do more to make these holidays special and that makes me feel guilty. I guess the weather here makes it difficult to get into the Christmas mood. It’s 35 °C outside!!!!
I lOVE this picture of Lucas with his gingerbread man 🙂
I think you hit the nail on the head in this post. The holiday’s are a happy time for most but for some, it can really be a difficult time, a time of sadness, stress and separation.
Oh I so have this happening with me right now. It’s hard and it does hurt so very much sometimes. I’m trying to spend as much of my time as possible with the kids because they always manage to make me smile.
Sending you love, my friend. xo
This happens to me every year, I struggle through the ups and downs of the holiday season. Watching it all unfold through the eyes of my kids definitely makes it much easier.
I am such a Christmas fanatic, I have a feeling in the last few years that my manic festiveness has something to do with the speed by which life seems to be moving. That I need to do more, host more, have more .. enjoy more.
ack – just slow down!!!
Love that picture! He is the cheesiest. All I can say is that I’m glad the holidays are over, because as you know, I had very bad holiday blues this year! 🙁 No fun at all! Ugh!