{"id":121174,"date":"2020-12-08T11:00:50","date_gmt":"2020-12-08T11:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=121174"},"modified":"2023-03-15T16:23:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T16:23:20","slug":"family-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/family-christmas.htm","title":{"rendered":"Family Christmas Not Happening This Year? Surviving Being Homesick or Alone"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_121176\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-121176\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-121176\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/anthony-tran-00jxs-KSPqg-unsplash-1-400x266.jpg\" alt=\"Covid Christmas\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/anthony-tran-00jxs-KSPqg-unsplash-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/anthony-tran-00jxs-KSPqg-unsplash-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/anthony-tran-00jxs-KSPqg-unsplash-1-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/anthony-tran-00jxs-KSPqg-unsplash-1.jpg 709w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-121176\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">photo by: Anthony Tran<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\">by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>No family Christmas<\/strong> for you this year due to being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/moving-abroad-cause-depression.htm\">overseas<\/a> or stuck working? Dreading the idea of\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/spending-christmas-alone-how-to-cope.htm\">spending Christmas without loved ones?<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">5 Ways to Manage Without a Family Christmas<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>So how to navigate this strange season of homesickness? Or spent a holiday alone without being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-know-if-you-are-depressed.htm\">too depressed?<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">1. Let yourself mourn &#8211; within limits.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Pretending we are \u2018fine\u2019 and don\u2019t care, when we actually do? Always tends to backfire.<\/strong> Suddenly we are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/repressed-anger.htm\">snapping at friends<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/drinking-too-much-alcohol.htm\">reaching for that extra glass of wine<\/a> when we know we will end up with a hangover.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #666699;\">It\u2019s a healthy reaction to feel upset if we can&#8217;t be with the loved ones we are used to spending holidays with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Of course <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/always-complaining.htm\">constantly moaning<\/a> to everyone around us isn&#8217;t the solution either, but keeps us in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/negative-thoughts.htm\">negative thought loop<\/a> and lead to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/depression-symptoms.htm\"> depression<\/a> (as well as alienates others).<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s important to take time to process emotions yourself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\"><strong>TRY THIS:<\/strong> Have<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-use-a-self-help-journal.htm\"> a temper tantrum on paper<\/a>. Write out, as fast as you can, all the furious things that come, no matter how wild and childish. In fact the more childish the better. Don\u2019t worry about penmanship. When you are done, rip it all up. If you don\u2019t like writing, set a timer for two minutes and rant out loud ever single thing that comes out until your time is up. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">2. Presence over presents.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Thinking about happy holidays in the past can be heartwarming.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">A <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #333399; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.01219\/full\">series of studies by American researchers<\/a><\/span>, for example, found that reflecting on cherished memories can alleviate loneliness.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div id=\"attachment_121177\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6903711925_88ee295a0c-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-121177\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-121177\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6903711925_88ee295a0c-1-400x267.jpg\" alt=\"covid christmas\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6903711925_88ee295a0c-1-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6903711925_88ee295a0c-1-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/6903711925_88ee295a0c-1.jpg 499w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-121177\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/crdot\/6903711925\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Caleb Roenigk<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>But thinking about how much <em>better<\/em> the past was compared to your current Christmas, <\/b>and using<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/comparing-yourself-to-others.htm\"> negative comparison<\/a>? It can throw you into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/rumination-anxiety.htm\">rumination<\/a>, which leads right to low moods. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333333;\"><strong>But when we <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/present-moment-secret-better-mood.htm\">focus on the present<\/a>, we notice what is really going okay in front of us.\u00a0 We are healthy, our family loves us even if we aren&#8217;t with them.<\/span><span class=\"s1\">We can start to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/gratitude-tips.htm\">feel gratitude<\/a> for what we do have instead of what we don\u2019t.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><a style=\"color: #333399;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/222164790_The_role_of_gratitude_in_the_development_of_social_support_stress_and_depression_Two_longitudinal_studies\">A study on British students<\/a> facing a challenging life transition found that showing gratitude can protect you against stress and depression.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em><strong>TRY THIS:<\/strong> Give a mindfulness meditation a go, a technique that pulls your right into the present moment. It&#8217;s free, easy to learn, and shown by research to help with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/stress-vs-anxiety.htm\">stress, anxiety<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/cant-focus-might-one-psychological-health-conditions.htm\">focus<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/mental-wellbeing.htm\">wellbeing<\/a>. Use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/mindfulness-help-guide.htm\">our free guide to mindfulness<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">3. Replace cheer with wellbeing.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Yes, apparently it\u2019s the season to be \u2018be merry\u2019. But the problem with<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/alcohol-and-depression.htm\">alcohol<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/party-drugs-depression.htm\">recreational drugs<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/truth-about-overeating-case-study.htm\">food bingeing<\/a>? They are all depressants. As in, they chemically dampen your mood once the buzz wears off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_121178\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-121178\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-121178\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharon-mccutcheon-Ru-7if4siHA-unsplash-400x266.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharon-mccutcheon-Ru-7if4siHA-unsplash-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharon-mccutcheon-Ru-7if4siHA-unsplash-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharon-mccutcheon-Ru-7if4siHA-unsplash-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharon-mccutcheon-Ru-7if4siHA-unsplash.jpg 709w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-121178\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">photo by Sharon McCuthcheon<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\"><b>TRY THIS:\u00a0 <\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Replace <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/bad-habits-or-addictions.htm\">habits of distraction<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/psychological-wellbeing-test.htm\">wellbeing activities<\/a>, healthy things that make you feel good. Make a list of at least ten things that leave you feeling happy after. It might be as simple as a hot bath or baking, or something bigger like finally ordering that DJ software and making music. What could you actually do today from that list? What other things could you pen in your diary for the upcoming days?\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">4. Choose a new tradition if you can&#8217;t have a family Christmas.<\/span><\/h3>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Rituals and traditions help our mental health. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/ris\/Publication%20Files\/norton%20gino%202014_e44eb177-f8f4-4f0d-a458-625c1268b391.pdf\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">study on rituals when mourning<\/span><\/a>, for example, found they went a long way to help mourners feel in control.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span class=\"s1\"><strong>What new tradition<\/strong> can you create for yourself? (Eating an entire box of chocolates in bed counts). Or find new ways to enact old family holiday rituals, such as by over a Zoom call.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">5. Make a bigger effort than usual to reach out to others. <\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>It can feel easier to hide away from others and feel sorry for yourself than <\/strong>socialise. And while it&#8217;s important not to say yes to things you really don&#8217;t want to do, and not fall into<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/energy-vampires.htm\"> draining yourself<\/a> by being a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/people-pleaser-meaning.htm\">people pleaser<\/a>? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/connecting-with-people.htm\">Connection<\/a> is hugely helpful for low moods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #333399;\">In their<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/mental-health\/self-help\/guides-tools-and-activities\/five-steps-to-mental-wellbeing\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> 5-step plan to mental wellbeing<\/span><\/a>, the NHS places &#8216;connect with others&#8217; as the very first item.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><em><span class=\"s1\">TRY THIS: Make your own version of the twelve days of Christmas. Each day, for twelve days, reach out to at least one person. It could be a quick email to someone you always liked but have lost contact with, starting a conversation with a shopkeeper you&#8217;ve never talked to before, or offering your time in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/negative-effects-of-facebook.htm\">Facebook<\/a> group and seeing what transpires. If it helps, make it a 12-day &#8216;connection challenge&#8217; with friends.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Still freaking about no family Christmas this year?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>If your<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/7-surprising-reasons-feeling-lonely.htm\"> loneliness<\/a> feels unmanageable, or being away from family gives you new revelations about certain<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/dealing-with-difficult-family-members-9-important-steps.htm\"> family issues<\/a> that you&#8217;ve long avoided dealing with? Don&#8217;t feel you have to navigate things alone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sometimes the best present we can give ourselves is a safe, unbiased environment to vent.<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/do-you-need-therapy.htm\">Talk therapy<\/a> creates this space. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/types-of-therapists.htm\">counsellor or psychotherapist<\/a> will understand and not judge, and most now work over platforms like Teams or Zoom for safety and convenience. Christmas won&#8217;t last forever, but the learnings and personal growth therapy provides will.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em><strong>Need someone who gets how lonely you feel? We connect you with some of London&#8217;s highest rated talk therapists. Or use <a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/?utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Mid%20Post\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\">our booking site<\/span><\/a> now to find<a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/?utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Mid%20Post\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"> UK-wide registered therapists<\/span><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/?utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Post%20End\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\">online counsellors<\/span><\/a> who take global clients.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Want to share your own tip for navigating a year without a family Christmas? Use the comment box below.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><b><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-117271 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-150x150.png\" alt=\"Andrea M. Darcy mental health expert\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-50x50.png 50w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673.png 268w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>Andrea M. Darcy<\/b> is a mental health and wellbeing expert and writer. She also runs a consultancy helping people find their perfect therapy and therapist. She&#8217;s spent more Xmases alone and overseas than anyone she knows, you&#8217;ve got this! Follow her on Instagram for useful life tips @am_darcy<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Andrea M. Darcy No family Christmas for you this year due to being overseas or stuck working? Dreading the idea of\u00a0 spending Christmas without loved ones? 5 Ways to Manage Without a Family Christmas So how to navigate this strange season of homesickness? Or spent a holiday alone without being too depressed? 1. Let [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":121176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[261,270,325,405,260],"class_list":["post-121174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-depression","tag-being-alone","tag-christmas","tag-family","tag-holidays","tag-loneliness","has_thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Family Christmas Not Happening This Year? Surviving Being Homesick or Alone - Harley Therapy\u2122 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Is a family Christmas not on the schedule this year? 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