Holiday Blues and How to Avoid Them

Looking forward to the holidays as a single Christian? Hoping to avoid the holiday blues? Learning how to survive and thrive during the holiday season is an important thing for singles to learn. Since holidays are marketed for families, singles who are alone are often made to feel like outsiders crashing a party. Talk about the holiday blues!

How Singles Prepare for the Holidays

As Christian single women and men dreading yet another holiday season alone, you're probably struggling or thinking about:

* Where you're going to spend the holidays to avoid loneliness
* How unfair it is that another Christmas is coming, and you're still single
* What you're gonna tell or do to those relatives who ask you again why you're not yet married.

Holiday Do's and Don'ts for Singles

As you reflect upon how to approach the holidays this season, it's important to celebrate in a way you feel comfortable as a single person. As you begin to see all the commercialism, decorations and hype, let the following holiday do's and dont's guide you:

Holiday Do's for Singles

Focus on the birth of our dear Lord and Saviour, Jesus, as the focal point of your holiday. Not to employ an overused cliche, but He is, after all, the Reason for the season.

Do remember that as a single you have the same need and right to enjoy this holiday season as any other couple or family does. So if you want to decorate your home or apartment, do it up good! How you choose to spend the holidays is your personal choice, not that of those around you. Before being cajoled by friends and family members to attend this event or that party, ask yourself if this is really what you want to do. Will it make you feel more lonely and depressed? Will it bring others AND you some measure of joy?

As a single Christian, set level expectations for the holidays. Have fun in the way you see fit, but don't allow the world to pressure you into unrealistic expectations of what the holiday time should bring. That way, if things don't go that way, there will be less disappointment and hurt.

Jesus said "it's more blessed to give than to receive." So, make this Christmas a time of service to others instead of focusing on your own needs and wants as a single person. Doing things such as feeding the poor or visiting the sick will not only help you put the holidays into their proper perspective, it will cause your spirits to soar! We guarantee it.

If you have not already done so, find a Christian singles group or church in your area where you can find and give support to other singles during the holidays. If you're not part of any group, why not throw a holiday bash for other single friends you know?

Make sure to count every blessing the Lord has granted to you during the past year.

Holiday Don'ts for Singles

Avoid using too much alcohol (Ephesians 5:18) to cope with holiday stress because this tends to make one depressed.

As singles, we tend to overbook ourselves to the point of exhaustion. Make sure you don't do this this holiday season, but give yourself plenty of down time to relax and rest. Fatique can lead to negative thought patterns.

Don't spend all your holiday time with family members and other couples, but split the time to be with your single friends as well. This will help you keep a more positive perspective while enjoying everybody's company

Overall, however you choose to celebrate the Christmas or New Year Holidays, remember to be safe, trust in God's promises for your future (Jeremiah 29:11) and have fun! Happy Holidays!

David Butler is a Christian minister to singles, and has a website, Christian Dating Service PLUS!, that lists several of the top Christian dating sites other Christians use. The site also has articles geared toward the spiritual needs of singles.