Holiday Gratitude and Quick Tips

November is the month for thanksgiving and gratefulness, but also Native American Heritage Month.  During this time, I always felt filled with added joy and happiness due to the holiday season. It is and has been a time were we spent lots of time with not only immediate family, but also extended. I very fond memories of driving to Indiana or the DC area to see family and play with our cousins. My favorite memory is eating Grandma B’s Texas sheet cake every day we were in town for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Since 2020 has been ran by the pandemic, I didn’t get a chance to see family this year like I normally would. We settled with just the two of us and a few zoom calls to get with family. Seeing immediate family on zoom, brought up memories of all the Thanksgiving dinners we had in person. After our call, though I was enjoying the food we cooked, I was feeling sadness in my heart at the same time. Though I knew we were doing the right thing by staying home, I wanted to be like everyone else and be in a house full of warmth, aromas and love in every direction.

Since it is the holidays and most of us will be spending them alone, I wanted to give tips on how to avoid depression or at least mitigate it.

1. Write down 10 things you are grateful for each week – doing this will keep you in a state of mind of good endorphins. It will also put things into perspective during the holiday season
2. Plan out your days/weeks for the month – I know for me, if I keep my brain busy it has less time to focus on the sad items. Planning your days, especially those days you have off, will help staying focused on other items throughout the day
3. Try something creative – take some time to color in a coloring book, paint a picture, make a vision board or even play in the snow. You will be surprised how much fun it will be and calming. It is another way to have a quick self-care activity for yourself.
4. Take some time to speak to your loved ones – though in person time cannot be replaced, talking to a loved one can help with your worry, sadness and anxiety. Being able to connect on some level will keep your spirits high throughout this holiday season.

If you are looking for more tips, check out the podcast “Therapy for Black Girls” Session 183.