Holidays bum people out AND stress people out. With the stress of the holidays, people are more vulnerable to feeling sad, irritable, angry, anxious, etc. and can become more impulsive and reactive. There’s a lot of drinking, drug use, violence, loneliness, and family discord during the holiday season. Holidays come with warm feelings and memories for many but certainly not for everyone.
I have a little advice to add to the great advice above: It’s hard to control/change emotions if you focus on the emotions. But, by working on thoughts/thinking or actions you stand a good chance to break out of the bummed feeling. Try to shift thoughts to positive memories of loved ones, make plans for something to look forward to, brainstorm activities that could change your mindset (don’t stop till you’ve listed 10), set an improvement goal, exercise, call or email old friend(s) you’ve been thinking about, meditate, do something nice for your brother or a friend or a neighbor.
Dwelling and negative thought loops exacerbate sadness and loneliness. The holiday season is temporary(!)— notice when your thoughts aren’t helpful to your mood and shift them to something neutral or positive— or engage in an activity from your list — and notice that mood changes along with thoughts and actions.