Beat the holiday blues with little acts of kindness

Be your own cheerleader. Take the time to celebrate festivals for yourself even if you are far from family

- Jayanthi Madhukar

Sejal Jain, 45, lives alone in an apartment close to her workplace in Bengaluru. Unlike previous years, she hasn’t been able to make any plans for the holiday season because her friends are either travelling or are busy with their family commitments. Jain admits to feeling ‘down’—although she is not a ‘party person’, the fact that she has “no one to share the festive cheer with” has made it tough. “Loneliness is not new to me,” she says, “ but after my parents passed away, festival and holiday seasons have become especially tough.”

Renuka Gavrani, author of The Art of Being Alone says, “In a country like India, where festivals mean getting together, finding yourself alone in your apartment can be daunting.” Several people like Jain are battling festive or holiday loneliness. holiday loneliness.

Shilpa Shivamallappa, a Bengaluru-based life coach and therapist, says people who are far away from their families may find it especially difficult at this time of the year. “They may have not been able to go home because of work commitments or other constraints. They may feel the loneliness because they don’t enjoy their own company,” she says.

While feeling lonely and being alone are two different things, there are times when our hearts crave for people who are home to us. Experts suggest some simple strategies to lighten the feeling of being alone. 

DO SOMETHING FOR OTHERS