For many persons, the holidays are not a time of joy and happiness. 

The stress of a busy schedule, hidden (and not-so-hidden) expectations, family tensions, separation or loss of loved ones, chronic illness, loneliness, financial hardship, fatigue or depression -- and isolation imposed by a pandemic -- can all add to the pain of a festive season.  It's all made worse by the fact that everyone else seems to be having a good time and wishes you would too.

The best advice is to be honest with yourself and with your loved ones.  Decide what you can and cannot do this year, regardless of traditions and expectations.  Adjust plans when you need to.  If you feel ups and downs, take advantage of the good times and rest faithfully with the painful times as best you can. You can't force yourself to be happy and you don't have to pretend that everything is OK.  On the other hand, you don't have to surrender entirely to feelings of disappointment, guilt, shame or despair.  Focus from time to time on the big picture -- the possibility of healing, and the "new normal" which emerges slowly and gradually over time.

If you are grieving the loss of someone special, remember that every person and every family grieves differently; expect every holiday to be different as you gradually learn to go on living in the absence of your loved one.

In some cases, depression or grief may be so debilitating or painful that professional counseling is necessary.  If you were having a heart attack or stroke, you wouldn't hesitate to get help;  why should mental, emotional or spiritual crises be any different?  The truth is that no one heals on their own.  In the absence of good friends or family members who can be supportive and helpful, a professional mental health counselor, grief counselor or spiritual guide is a wise choice.

If you or someone you know struggles with sadness or grief at the holidays, here are some resources which you might find helpful.  These resources are not a substitute for professional mental health or grief counseling.

Holiday Sadness, Stress and Depression

A Return to Hope.  Cynthia Benge (author's blog)
A Time to Weep--Advent and Christmas.  John D. Witvliet. (Reformed Worship)
Advent Is a Time to Face Your Fears.  Fr. Terrance Klein (America Magazine. 12.28.18)
Can't Force the Feeling--How Letting Go Helped Me Enjoy Christmas. Sarah Garone. (BustedHalo. 12.19.18)
Coping With Depression During the Holidays. Julia Hogan (Grotto Network 2020)
Depression and the Holidays.  Barbara Kay Lundblad (Sojourners Magazine. 11.12.14)
Five Steps Toward Better Holidays.  Benjamin L. Corey. (Patheos blog. 12.14.17)
Five Ways to Cope With Loneliness Over the Holidays.  Julia Hogan.  (Grotto Network)
Four Things to Do to Combat the Post-Christmas Blues.  Chloe Langr. (Aleteia.  12.27.18)
Four Ways to Avoid Holiday Depression.  Michael Kerr. (Neurocore Centers. 12.22.17)
Happy Holidays--Six Ways to Get There.  James Baraz. (Yes! Magazine. 12.23.10)
Holiday Spiritual Practices to Soothe the Soul.  Roger Gottlieb. (Patheos blog. 12.05.12)
Holiday Depression and Stress.  (WebMD)
How Merry Do I Need to Be This Christmas? Jessey McCartney (Grotto Network. 2020)
How to Beat the Post-Holiday Blues in a Pandemic.  Jessica Toomer (Guideposts. 12.22.20)
It's OK If Winter Makes You Sad.  Jason Marsch. (Yes! Magazine 12.15.14)
Seven Ways to Manage Your Mental Health This Holiday. Caitlin Sica (Grotto Network 2020)
Survival Guide to a Fairly Happy Christmas.  Leslie Scanlon. (U.S. Catholic Magazine. 12.09)
Tips for Coping With Stress, Depression and the Holidays. (Mayo Clinic)
What You Need to Know About Seasonal Depression.  Julia Hogan (Grotto Network)
When the Christmas Season Brings More Pain Than Joy.  Nancy Hightower.  (Sojourners Magazine. 12.04.18)
Why It's OK to Grieve During Advent.  Elizabeth Nance-Coker (Ethics Daily. 12.05.18)
Why You Should Feast Even If You're Alone. David Russell Mosley (The Christian Century. 12.07.20)
Will There Be Peace at Home This Christmas?  Gail Besse (Our Sunday Visitor. 12.17.06)

Holiday Grief

Dealing With Grief During the Holiday Season.  Amy Goyer. (AARP. 12.19.12)
A Different Kind of Christmas. (Performed by Mark Schultz)
Facing Grief During the Holidays.  Paula D'Arcy. (Franciscan Spirit. 11.20.18)
Fatherly Advice--Dealing with Grief Around the Holidays.  Fr. Dave Dwyer (BustedHalo podcast)
The First Holiday Without a Loved One.  Mikala Jamison. The Atlantic. December 23, 2018)
From Trigger to Touchstone.  Darwin L. Huartson. (Locke Funeral Home. 11.26.18)
Good Grief in the Holidays.  Celeste Miller. (Locke Funeral Home. 10.15.18)
Grieving During the Holidays.  (Creighton University Online Ministries)
Grief and the Holidays.  Linda Cherek (Loyola Spirituality Center. 11.19.20)
Grief at Christmas.  Kathleen O'Hara. (U.S. Catholic Magazine)
The Gift of Remembering Those We've Lost.  Shannon Hayes. (Yes! Magazine. 12.17.12)
Helping Yourself Heal During the Holidays.  Alan Wolfelt. (Center for Loss. 12.16.16)
A Prayer for Someone Who Is Struggling at the Holiday Season.  Billl Kubat. (Good Samaritan Society. 11.01.18)
Joyce Rupp's Prayer, "The Heart of Eternal Love" (Annunciation School. 10.07.15)
Searching for Solace in Advent and Christmas. Jan Richardson (The Advent Door)

Related Links
> Information for Catholics Living With Depression
> Information for Persons Who Have Experienced A Loved One's Suicide

[Last Update: 12.09.20]