Every year we hope that the upcoming holidays will be the best of our lives, and every year we are disappointed again and again. Why do holidays so often fall short of our expectations?
We begin to wait, prepare and make plans a few months before the New Year and Christmas, and when the holiday finally comes, we are not impressed by it.
It is not difficult to explain why this is so. The fact is that we put our own pleasure at the center of the holiday. We plan in detail what we will eat and drink, what we will do. As a result, the holiday turns out to be predictable, and the road home is too long. It’s boring at the Christmas market. We think a lot about the gifts we will give to relatives and friends, and at the same time, it seems to us that the gifts we receive from them were not thought enough.
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Soon we begin to look forward to the end of the long holidays and the return of life to the normal rut from which we dreamed of breaking out.
For many people, things are even worse. For them, the Christmas holidays are a time of unbearable loneliness, sadness and regret. They dream of a friendly company where they feel loved, but regardless of whether they are alone or in a crowded gathering, they become sad. And because everyone around you seems so cheerful, sadness can increase to a dangerous level.
But the solution to the problem lies on the surface. In the center of our holiday should not be ourselves, but other people. If you help someone who is nearby, the soul of any of us will become more cheerful. Invite a neighbor who celebrates the New Year alone to a festive dinner. Make an appointment with an old friend or relative who you know is interested in your life.
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Perhaps the best recipe for a good mood during the holidays is to spend part of the holidays on volunteer work. For example, go to dog shelters, where help is almost always needed. Volunteers often say that when they first went to help, they were not in a good mood, and they were wary of the idea itself. But already after the first visit, their souls became easier, and their outlook on life gradually changed.
For young people, participation in volunteer work can become a habit and become part of their lifestyle if they had experience of such work in their school years. In the UK, Prince Charles launched the #iwill campaign two years ago, aiming to have 2020% of young people volunteer by 60. Schools that have joined this campaign are already talking about improving the general atmosphere and attitude towards learning, and employers are happy to accept such young people into their companies, as they have already managed to prove that they can work well.
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In general, the idea is simple. New Year and Christmas will not be a joy if you think only about your pleasures. But if you also take care of those around you, the holiday dinner will be tastier than ever.
See more at The Guardian.