The countdown to Christmas (and Chanukkah!) has officially started, so what do you do to keep your sanity, especially in 2020?
2020 is slowly coming to an end (I assume I'm not the only one who's quite relieved), however the festive season is upon us. Having grown up in Vienna where there's a plethora of Christmas markets and Christmas decorations, I love this season (minus the cold, mind you), however this year everything's different.
Abroad Alone
All by yourself - it doesn't have to be like that
I get it. I'm an expat myself. The last time I've seen my family was for a couple of days during summer. It's hard. And while I'm grateful for modern technology, nothing beats face-to-face communication, especially with loved ones.
So what to do if you're home alone during this season? Get together with friends. Either invite them over (according to your local measurements, of course) or you could always go for a walk together. Just wear enough warm clothes to not get sick. New to a place and don't have any friends yet? Now's the perfect time to start volunteering! Reach out to local animal and/or homeless shelters, refugee organisations, etc. You'll make friends while doing something good for your community. Win-win!
Family Madness
Who doesn't enjoy passive aggressiveness and no consideration for personal boundaries around the dinner table? Festive season has the potential to be quite explosive. Why? Well....just because you're family doesn't necessarily mean you have to like each other. And more often than not, you find yourself crammed around a table where everyone's supposed to have a good time, booze is flowing and you have to face the unavoidable questions why you're still single/ not married yet/ don't have any kids yet. I feel the exhaustion just by typing this. It's easy to get offended. It's your family after all, they know all your triggers. This year however, try to be understanding. 2020 has been hard on all of us. If you can't be understanding (for whatever reasons) then remove yourself from the situation. There's no need to suffer through another brunch/ lunch/ dinner.
Get Moving
To live is to keep moving
If you're in the Northern hemisphere, chances of it being cold outside are pretty high. What's better than staying inside, curled up on the couch with a blanket and a good book or binge-watching the latest Netflix series? Technically speaking, not much. But keep this up, and after a few days you will feel irritated. Why? Lack of movement and scenery.
So get your winter coat and warm clothes and head outside for a walk. The fresh air will help you feel energised and you will feel so much better after moving for a bit.
If your favourite gym or studio is closed over the holidays, resort to your best friend: The Internet. There's so much good (and free!) content available, from 5 minute workouts to sweating for an hour.
Be Grateful
It's easy to focus on the not-so-nice-things happening around the world. But there's also so much beauty around us. Try to write down a couple of things you were grateful for every day. The more, the better. If you only come up with one thing, that's great too! At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many items are on your list, but how you shifted your perspective.
Enjoy the festive season!
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