Newly divorced parents going through the holidays single for the first time can easily become depressed, especially if the children are with their exes for the holidays.
The National Institute for Health reports that many people suffer from serious episodic depression during the holiday season. Below are some tips to get through the “holidaze” with one’s mental and emotional health intact.
— Begin new holiday traditions. If you don’t have the children with you for the big day itself, go caroling around the neighborhood the week before, or troop on out to a Christmas tree farm and select and chop the perfect holiday tree.
— Get tech savvy if you aren’t already and plan to Skype or Face-time with the kids for a few minutes after they have eaten Thanksgiving dinner or opened their holiday gifts.
— Get away from it all with a single friend or even just yourself. Book a night or two at a 5-star hotel or ski lodge and indulge yourself.
— Spend time with old friends and extended family. If the kids will be with your ex for a few nights due to parental relocation, book a flight home to visit your parents, siblings or best childhood friend.
— Volunteer to serve up Thanksgiving dinner at a homeless shelter or buy and wrap a sack of gifts to pass out at the local pediatric oncology ward. Tears may be shed, but you will undoubtedly leave with a sense of gratitude for all the good things you have in your life.
If your mood remains despondent, ask your family law attorney if he or she can recommend a counselor to help you get out of the holiday doldrums and back in the spirit of the season.
Source: The Huffington Post, “5 Tips for Making It Through the Holidays as a Single Parent,” Nov. 06, 2015
