12 ideas for the holiday season

Here are 12 more ideas for the holiday season! Remember, it’s a well-known fact that the holiday season bring on the blues. According to the National Mental Health Association, reasons for feeling blue during the holidays range from fatigue, financial limitations, to tensions in personal relationships.

12 IDEAS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON:

Change it up. Invite a little unpredictability into your life instead of your routine.
Go for a drive. Go without a particular destination. Feel the breeze through your hair. Then let your senses take in the feeling of not having anywhere you have to be or a place you have to go. After that, stop somewhere you’ve never been.
Go sightseeing. In the town you live in! My partner and I had a staycation for my birthday. We got a room at the Ritz Carlton. Then we went bike riding through the city. We planned a few outings out on the town, such as massages and a special dinner.
Get outdoors. Whether it’s a walk down a busy city street or a nature hike, there’s something about being outdoors that makes a little bit of the sadness evaporate. I love walking around the monuments in DC at night. Also, if you’re open, you’ll notice a stranger or two smiling at you along the way. Surrender to nature and feel its immense power.
Plan a vacation or a simple day trip. A change of scenery can bring about a change of mindset. Whenever I am traveling, I make sure we have something on the itinerary for at least one activity outside.
Listen to music that moves you. Crank up the volume and dance along.
Self-care. Some of my favorite things to take care of myself include getting a manicure/pedicure, a facial, or a massage. I also like to get a weekly haircut.
Take a class. Find a pottery, philosophy, business, or psychology class in your town. For instance, you could check your local library and community center for course offerings.
Start a new healthy habit. You don’t need to wait until the New Year to start something new. Give yourself the gift of health this holiday season.
Give, give, give! At the end of the year, my mother would make us purge our closet of unwanted things. After that we would donate a bag of clothes and shoes to someone in the community. Pick up a greeting card or a present for someone then watch their reaction when they open it. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Any time you focus on making someone else’s day it will help brighten your day.
De-clutter your home. Clear your mind in the process. Afterwards, you can…
Party! Plan and throw a party. Watch the sadness turn to excitement.