Are you dreading the holidays? Do you wish the holidays would go away quickly so you can get back to your normal routine? Well, join millions of people around the world. Dreading the holidays is very normal. Almost all of us dread something about the holiday season, according to the fourth installment of the Consumer Reports Holiday Poll of 2016. The pain for some people is remembering the loss of a loved one around this time. For some, this can be the time that they may even contemplate suicide or have suicidal thoughts.

The last two years for our family have been hard, and at times unbearable, due to losing close family members around the holidays. Dreading the holidays this year, we all braced ourselves for it, because we were reminded of who we had lost in previous years around this time. Here we are again, facing another emotional rollercoaster due to several family members dealing with sickness.

I can remember one Christmas, I was so depressed that I purposely missed Christmas altogether. Yes, I totally missed Christmas. That year was extremely hard for me, because my family had moved to another city. I have never spent a holiday without my family. So I laid in bed all day long, feeling depressed. That night, sadly to say, I wanted to die. Lying in bed did not help me at all. It just made things a lot worse for me.

I began to question God. I mean, how do we get through the holiday while cringing at the thought of all the past memories? So how did we get through Thanksgiving? Someone in our family asked us if we could celebrate our Thanksgiving four days earlier. I can’t begin to tell you how much stress left us and how relieved we all were to celebrate earlier. It was something about changing up our traditional routine of how we celebrate the holidays and going off script this year.

How to get through the holidays can be very tricky, and at times, depressing if you think about it long enough. As stated earlier, this can be the hardest time of the year for some people. Grieving the loss of a loved one is difficult, but add special holidays in the mix and you could be facing some deep depression.

So how do we get through dreading the holidays? The best advice is to not allow yourself to grieve alone. Being alone during the holidays along with grieving the loss of a loved one can be very difficult and extremely depressing. It is very important to set aside time to be around others during this time. You don’t have to dread the holidays alone.

Other Helpful Tips that Can Help You Get Through the Holidays

1. Talk to a close friend you can confide in: Many times we feel like we have to deal with things on our own. Talking about feelings and emotions is a big part of the grieving process.
2. Cling to your faith: Reaching out to God to help you navigate the holiday season can be very helpful. He knows just what you need, and He is ready to provide for you in your time of grief. It is as simple as talking to God like you would talk to a friend. Don’t feel like you have to have a long, drawn out prayer to be heard by God. He hears even the shortest and simplest prayers. Psalm 34:18 says that “the Lord is nigh (close) unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” -KJV
3. Take people up on offers of help: Don’t feel like you have to do everything on your own. When people ask to help, let them. Also feel free to ask for help when you need it.
4. Don’t try to do too much: Break holiday tasks such as cooking, shopping, and card-writing into smaller chunks, delegate to others, or allow yourself a break from them this year.
5. Take care of yourself: Grief and the caregiving that often precedes the death of a loved one takes a great physical toll. Take care this holiday season to get enough sleep and eat wisely (including alcohol and sugar in moderation). A body that is in the grieving process requires a lot more attention.
6. Seek professional help if needed: Let’s face it, sometimes we may have tried everything, and we still may feel that we need help. This is the time to seek help from a professional (licensed counselor). In trying to find a counselor, the best advice is to get a referral from someone you trust.

Some tips were taken from the HuffPost blog

For more helpful tips about family, and for more encouraging stories and articles, visit the Safe Harbor blog.

Article was written by Marquetta Smith, Executive Director of Safe Harbor International Ministries