This is my first Christmas without my grandmother and my 13th Christmas without my mom. For me, they don’t get easier, they just become different.
I’ve been thinking these last few days of ways I can make this easier for myself and I’ve come up with a starting list.
Here are 5 things I’ll be doing this Christmas + New Years to help me get through the first winter holidays without those I love:
(1) Writing
Writing is key to everything. For me, it helps me create a narrative of all the thoughts bouncing around in my head, which in turn makes everything more manageable.
(2) Listening to music
There’s very little a good playlist can’t fix…or at least give you an 1.5 hours of distraction.
(3) Meditating
I’ve started to do short periods of guided meditation using the Calm app. I personally recommend it to anyone who is dealing with extra anxiety this holiday season.
(4) Spending time with family and friends
I’m lucky to have a really big family with a lot of little kids. I’ll be spending a lot of the holiday season focusing on them because they’re funny, and carefree in ways I can’t even remember.
(5) Reading
I got a lot of books for my birthday and have recently discovered that the NYPL rents ebooks too! I’ll be spending a good chunk of the holiday season catching up on some good reads. I’m starting with a John Green book!
