Thanksgiving Survival Tips

SPEAKER_00 0:04

So I was going to read the second chapter of my book, but being that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I wanted to take some time out to do something different. Um can be a tricky, tricky beast. I mean, most of the year taking time for yourself can feel good, but spending Thanksgiving holiday alone can feel isolating. Um especially if you're used to celebrating with loved ones. Or maybe you're not used to celebrating with loved ones, but it can still feel pretty lonely. So I have a list that I put together, and maybe this will help you not feel so lonely. So here's some tips, and I hope they resonate with you. Um, start the day by joting down a gratitude list. Um, we always have something to be grateful for, always. Even if we're alone, even if times are tough, we always, always have something to be grateful for. Whether it's your cup of coffee in the morning, your favorite song, your favorite TV show, your favorite book, there's always something to be grateful for. And the beautiful thing about grass builds on itself. So maybe today you find three things to be grateful for. Tomorrow you find five or six. And that over time will really start to lighten your mood and change those neuropathways and really kind of relieve that seasonal depression that some of us get. It's not a cure all, but it can certainly help. So, number two, and this is my personal favorite one, is use social media intentionally. Everyone is going to be posting holiday photos from now until January 1st. Um, it's going to be impossible to get away from people's like perfect Christmas pictures, perfect holiday meals. Um, it's just gonna be difficult. Um, and if that if it if seeing others celebrating makes you feel left out, you know, put your phone away. Take a break. It's important to recognize what your intentions are. So if you want to use it to celebrate people, that's fine, but don't use it to compare. Um, you're only gonna see the highlight reel. You're not gonna see the fights everyone got in in the holidays, you're not gonna see everyone drunk and making fools of themselves. Um, you're not gonna see that, you're just gonna see the good parts. So let's um, you know, don't don't compare yourself. Um, and sometimes this could be an option for people. Number three, maybe you partake in a virtual holiday. Um, say you're alone because of distance, partake in a virtual holiday, a Zoom call, a Google Meet, a FaceTime. Um, choose a platform everyone knows how to use, set up a time, and maybe do a Thanksgiving blessing together, eat dinner together, or just a quick check-in. Just something so you can feel connected to those that you love. Um, if they're uh if they're in the military, whatever the case may be, you can at least still connect with them on some level so you don't feel so alone. Because let's face it, we all feel extra alone on the holidays. I don't care who you are, you just will you're going to feel left out and you're going to feel isolated. Um, number four, maybe volunteer. There's food pantries, especially right now, that definitely need a lot of help. Maybe dial them up, uh, look them up in your local city or town and see if they need some help. Uh reach out to a local neighbor, see if they need help in that way. Go to a hospital, maybe they need help. You know, sometimes when we reach out to help others, we end up helping ourselves. So even go to like a local church. Maybe you're not spiritual, maybe you're not religious, but you you could reach out, you could get a hot meal, you could not be alone.

SPEAKER_01 4:20

Relationships, maybe it'll start something for you, you know.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

But you won't be alone, and you'll be helping others, and it will over time create a nice sense of gratitude. You'll feel better. You will just feel better helping other people. It always works that way. Um, number four, number five. I'm sorry, do something to treat yourself. Self-care can lower stress and improve your quality of life. Um, as simple as buying yourself a nice new cozy pair of socks, lighting a candle, listening to some nice music, taking a bath, um, enjoying a special bottle of wine that you like. Do something to treat yourself, to kind of pamper yourself a little bit. Um, because you do deserve that. We all deserve those little moments for ourselves, especially on the holidays, because it is there is so much pressure when it comes to holidays. You just can't get away from it. Um, you know, between all what everybody's expecting for Christmas, who's gonna get what, you can't afford this, and it's a lot, it's a lot, and then you put on top of that being alone, yeah, it's gonna get rough. So treat yourself as something nice. Maybe even take yourself out to dinner or something, but do something for you and don't feel guilty about it. The pressure of cooking a big meal off of your plate, but you're supporting a small business, and that's always a good choice because there's always cultures that maybe don't celebrate Thanksgiving, like like Chinese or Indian. Um, choose whatever delights you and turns your meal into a fun celebration. You know, choose something that and maybe go out to eat because there's going to be restaurants open, so go out to eat. That's okay too. You'll still be around people, it'll get you out of your house. Um, you know, and again, you're some supporting a small business, and maybe you'll meet some nice people to talk to. Um try a single serving Thanksgiving onion. Um, if you want some meals that remind you of family gatherings from the past, try roasting a nice Cornish game hen. Um, they're single, they're small, they take like an hour and a half to cook. Um, get like a little side of veggies, get some cornbread, uh, get yourself a nice little dessert, but make yourself something. Um, and even if you're not a big cook, there you roast a single one on um at 375 for like an hour and a half. So you're not spending, you know, three, four hours cooking and basting a turkey. You know, it's a nice little Cornish game, hen. Yeah, a nice little meal for yourself, put on some music, uh, maybe do it in your pajamas, whatever. Make a little thing out of it, treat it like almost like a date night for yourself, right? Do that for you. Um, it's okay to be alone and celebrate with yourself on Thanksgiving, but make it fun. Um else that you could do, and this is very, very important. Number seven, or number eight, I'm sorry, is don't forget to be in the moment as frequently as you check in with your phone to maintain a connection to your emotions. Allow yourself to feel your feelings. You're gonna get sad if you're alone, right? It's okay to feel down, um, crying, venting, exercising, whatever that looks like for you.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

Um, you're the arch but if you're feeling down and that's all you're focusing on, that's where you're gonna go.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

So check in with yourself. And if you're having a rough moment, you know, breathing exercises, right? Listen to some music, dance a little bit, you know, move your body, listen to what your body's telling you it needs. Maybe it needs to go to the gym. Most gyms will probably be open for a little bit on Thanksgiving, even if it's a four-hour window. Even take a walk upside, like play in the leaves. Um, but check in with yourself and don't put so much pressure on yourself to feel like you're doing it right or wrong. There is no real right or wrong here. Um, you get through it how you get through it, but try to be kind to yourself. And again, these are only suggestions, but I really do hope that they resonate with you. Um, and again, I know and Christmas and all that can be very overwhelming. Um one of my least favorite times of the year, because there is so much pressure, there is so much pressure, and quite honestly, the holidays bring out some of the worst in people. Um, you know, people in the stores get meaner, people are driving crazier, the amount of money people on gifts. Um, you know, and for me personally, it's a gentle reminder, not so gentle, of the family that I don't see. You know, and that can hurt.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

Um, there's just family that I don't talk to. I really don't talk to a lot of my family. You know, I talk to my mom, dad, um, my uncle, yeah, that's about it.

SPEAKER_00 9:56

It's very, very small, and it does get lonely, and it does remind me of people that I miss and that I love, and for whatever reason, I can't be with them. Whether by choice, um, they just don't want it, that connection just isn't there. So, yeah, uh holidays can remember it will pass, it will pass, it's not going to last forever from like right now to January 1st. It's a rough time for a lot of people, and you know, if you're feeling some kind of way, you know, always reach out. Always, there's there's therapy that's always an option. Um, you know, go to a church if that's sort of thing, but reach out, don't just sit in it. Look up a local helpline. Um don't sit in it if it does get that bad, because it will pass, but in the moment it can feel really heavy, too heavy.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

Please, please, please reach out and check in. Find someone you can feel you can talk to. Thank you for tuning in.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

I hope some part of this resonated with you. And if you'd like to email me at all, um, I'm still looking for people to connect with the share their experiences about either growing up in an alcoholic home or coming from it was I'd love to hear your story.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Um, it's call her cat podcast at gmail.com. And I really hope that whether it's alone or with family. Take care and I'll talk to you soon.