How to Keep From Getting The “Blues” at Christmas

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year holidays are sometimes very difficult to get through if you are lonely and sad.  Things that normal people enjoy during these holidays are not the ones that lonely and sad people enjoy. One elderly woman told me, “too many memories to be happy.”

Memories are great, but you can always make new ones. Usually if you are sad and lonely, you need to come out of your comfort zone, and make some new memories.

One way is to do something for others. Take an angel from the tree where children want something for Christmas. There are various price ranges on this tree, so there is something for everyone’s pocket book.

Go to a Senior Citizens retirement home. Bring some candy, a friendly smile, and a kind word. The residents will appreciate you.  If you play the piano or sing, there is always a need for that at the home. This solves two problems, your loneliness and theirs.

Do something nice for your neighbor. If you bake, try giving them something home made and baked. This will take some of that lonely time that you have, and will be giving of yourself to someone.

Offer to volunteer for a day at a food bank. Get some canned goods together and give to the many food banks that are feeding hundreds of jobless people. If you spend some time there, you can see the gratitude written on the many faces.

Offer to write notes for an elderly person, who wants to send a card to their loved ones. This only takes a few hours of your time, and it enables written communications for a family member. Write a note to a prisoner or soldier, who are missing their families. Offer to wrap gifts at a local shelter or Salvation Army.

Lonely is not the feeling that people should have during the holidays. Do something for someone who really could use a friend. Create new memories. Old memories are great, but new ones are even better.