Holidays are around the corner for many countries and cultures… In Mexico, the Day of the Death, in the US, Thanksgiving, in India, Diwali and for many occidental cultures December is a month to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year.

No matter which holiday you celebrate, being away from the loved ones may be hard in times of tradition and love… There are certain tips that may help you to enjoy the holiday season while being away from family and friends.

💡 Reframe your thoughts

Reframing thoughts is when you actively notice unhelpful thoughts in your mind and reframe them into more useful thoughts. This helps because the way you think about certain situation, affects the way you feel and behave.

How to reframe thoughts?

1. Notice the thought
2. Question the thought
3. Replace the thought with a more helpful one

For example:

1. Original though: “I’m lonely and far away from my family, my holidays this year will suck.”
2. Questioning: “Am I really lonely? I may be far away in distance, but haven’t I enjoyed every text and video calls with my loved ones back home?“
3. Replace the though: “Maybe this year I’m oceans apart from my family but I’ve got a chance to have a blast and meet new people. Besides, its my chance to give a personal touch to holidays and create my own traditions”

Changing and reframing thoughts may not be as easy as it sounds, but its all about training our minds!

🧘🏻‍♀️ Focus on your holistic wellbeing

Human beings are a combination of body, mind and soul. Therefore, taking care of each aspect is fundamental; if we neglect one, the others will limp.

• Body: Focus on eating healthy, working out and sleeping enough
• Mind: Spend time enjoying yourself, reading, practicing mindfulness, laughing, writing, listening to music, review who you follow on social networks and prioritize what brings positive to your life
• Soul: Be grateful, conscious and aware, ask for help, enjoy time with your friends, spend time outdoors and anything that makes you feel alive

🍻 Schedule a family/friends toast

If you have a large family, lots of friends who may or may not be so keen on technology, a virtual dinner might be a complicated long-shot. Someone's internet may crash, you may be in different timezones and your uncle won't figure out how to put himself on mute.

Instead, take the pressure off by having an off-screen toast with wine, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. If you can figure out videoconferencing, great. If not, encourage everyone to send a selfie of their holiday setup and beverage of choice in a group chat. The photos will make you grin—and hopefully get you through the day.

✨ Honor your grief

For some, holidays are a reminder of the loss of someone special to them. Grief does not take a back seat during the holidays and may be magnified. It’s important to acknowledge your feelings and try not avoid to them.

Experiencing both negative and positive feelings during the holidays while grieving is OK, remember that all feelings can coexist.

Consider writing about them, talking to mutual friends or family in common to remember them, share stories, talk about how much you miss them, and acknowledge your grief.