8 Ways to Combat Loneliness During The Holidays

1. Volunteer 

If you're someone who needs that connection to other people, then you should consider volunteering. Not only can you serve a great cause, but you can work directly with people and make a difference in their life. Whether it's serving hot meals in a soup kitchen, ringing bells for charities, or just bringing blankets to the homeless, you can make a change for them and for yourself. 

2. Spend Time With Family 

If you've lost someone important to you, you may feel like all you want to do is hide and be alone. However, that isolation may be more damaging than anything. To help cure that loneliness and sadness, you should seek family members out and spend time with them. By spending time with those who still remain in your life, you can find some form of healing. 

3. Invite Friends 

If you've reached that odd age where family gatherings aren't really a thing anymore, but you don't have a family of your own to spend the holidays with, then reach out to your friends. Friendsgiving is becoming more and more popular commonplace, so why not have Friendsmas, too? Invite close friends over for some meals and holiday activities and games that you can all share together. There's no reason why your friends can't be your chosen family.

4. Take Care Of You 

Your mental and physical health are important and often go hand-in-hand. By showing yourself a little tender love and care, you might just change your perspective on certain things. Take that bath, enjoy a good book, go somewhere exciting and rejuvenate your life. 

5. Start A Journal 

Another way to combat loneliness is to refocus your perspective. One way to do that is to focus on being grateful. You can start a gratitude journal where you write about the small blessings you have in your life. 

6. Remove Toxicity 

Perhaps part of the problem is that you've unknowingly surrounded yourself with toxic people. Cutting them out of your life can give you the chance to fill your life instead with positive people and positive feelings. 

7. Don't Compare 

It's easy to compare your life to the depictions on all of those holiday commercials. It's important to remember that they're fabrications. Don't allow yourself to compare your life to others. This is a slippery slope that will leave you feeling as though you're lacking every time.