Don't Let This Holiday Season Bring You Down

Oh, the holidays… full of joy, gifts, family reunions, tall tales, and quirky traditions. Before November is even over, stores begin to fill their shelves with Christmas-themed decorations overflowing with green and red ornaments, decor and trinkets. Whether or not you actually celebrate Christmas, you see it everywhere, and there is no escaping. While the first signs of Christmas can be exciting at the beginning, it can easily become too much. There are only so many times you want to hear Ariana Grande sing “Tell Me Santa”, and only so many Coca-Cola advertisement variations you can watch until they have the opposite effect. Perhaps you don’t even celebrate Christmas, maybe you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus (for the rest of us), or have your own holiday tradition you follow. Whatever the case may be, the end of December is something some people look forward to, but for others, it can be a difficult or even lonely time.

Maybe you’re dreading that inevitable family photo coming up right when your face just broke out, and you are struggling with your confidence. Or maybe you are scared of getting stuck sitting next to your crazy aunt who kind of smells and won’t stop talking the entire dinner. Or perhaps you made a lot of personal growth in a certain direction that your family might not agree with. Maybe there is some bad blood that will likely unravel at dinner. Or did you make certain diet changes, like going vegan and already mentally preparing to explain to your grandparents how you are not malnourished? There is an endless list of real anxieties, big or small, people may feel leading up to the holidays. 

Contrary to how so many people feel, the holidays are always represented in an idealistic way – where a big, happy family comes together around a warm fireplace and a beautifully decorated tree to laugh together as they open presents. This image of the holidays can make you feel pressure for your Christmas to live up to an impossible standard when actually it’s completely unrealistic (and also shot in a movie studio). Many people even spend the holidays alone or working. Maybe they moved somewhere new, are the last of their family, are in a transitional period in life, or whatever their unique story might be; they might have to spend the holidays alone or just with their pets, even when deep down they would prefer not to. If you have the space and resources, and you know someone who might be spending the holidays alone this year, even just asking if they would want to spend it with you could really cheer up the holidays. The small act of extending an invitation can go a long way, after all, they can always say no.

Over time it seems that the holidays have made many people lose sight of what they are truly about. It has turned into a materialistic holiday that revolves around buying presents for others (and realistically yourself too). There are deals after deals after deals, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, end-of-the-year sales, you name it. It is important to remember that everyone comes from different circumstances. What is a lot for some is a little for others. It can absolutely be hard not to get a little jealous of the ridiculous gifts others might get. Especially with the internet, everyone is showing off the cool things they got, and there can be stark differences in the holiday gifts one person receives compared to another. Some get brand-new cars completely paid off, others might get an avocado (you remember the video). It can feel unfair, but that's when it’s important to look at the meaning behind the gift. Everyone is in drastically different financial situations with different financial responsibilities to uphold. So remember, it is not really about the gift itself, it's about the fact that someone went out of their way to give you something they think you would like, whether it is bought or made by hand with love. The action and intention itself is what is truly special. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind for the holidays is: you should only look at what others have to make sure they have enough. That is what the holidays are really about. Spreading cheer and being kind to one another.

It is truly that simple. We just tend to forget it because of all the holiday madness that goes on. Whatever stressors you have on your plate, just know it will be okay, it might even turn out to be fun! And remember, you never know what other people have going on, so please, be extra loving this holiday season. So whatever you are celebrating, the Yubo team wishes you a happy holiday season!