The holidays are often seen as the happiest time of the year. It is the time when people are supposed to hang out with families or friends and rejoice to finish the year off. While this may be the expectation, it is not true for most. The Roots of Loneliness stated that, 31% of people over the age of 18, who are most likely to live alone, feel holiday depression. The Roots of Loneliness Project also stated, around 41% of women and 31% of men have increased stress and loneliness during the holidays.
I think the increase stems from unrealistic expectations of things we read, see, and hear about in holiday movies. Whether it’s from social media, the news, our phones, etc., none of it is real life. I think social media is the biggest reason for the increase in holiday loneliness. We see what people want us to see. We jump to conclusions about what people have or are doing. People all over the world, post the good times in their lives, they post the “best” things they own.
This is what sets unrealistic expectations because we don’t see the bad parts or the rest of their lives. This is extremely important to recognize especially during the holiday season because holiday loneliness can lead to depression and suicide. BHS senior, Ivana Goff, is very involved in the school believes that there is a way we can decrease holiday depression. She stated, “Absolutely, I think if we have more conversations like these and make ourselves more aware of the feelings of others (especially those we care about) we can be there and support each other, even if that is a stranger.”
This ties into being aware of your feelings and recognizing what you can do. I strongly admire Ivana Goff and wanted to get more insight into what she thinks about holiday loneliness. I asked her how she believes individuals can overcome this feeling on their own. Ivana responded, “Individuals might be able to overcome holiday loneliness by giving back and surrounding themselves with others. DON’T ISOLATE!!! Try to volunteer at a soup kitchen, local library, or early childhood learning center, go to church, or meet new people online who share your feelings. Whatever you do don’t keep to yourself and speak up if you feel alone. Compassion and love is always the best anecdote.”
I agree with this 100%, while there are a lot of ways we can help other people, we also have to be able to step up for ourselves and be able to come forward.
