There are so many things to be excited about during the holidays: fun-filled family time, delicious home-cooked meals, presents waiting to be unwrapped, and perhaps a much-deserved vacation. However, if you’re nursing a broken heart, this festive time of year may seem burdened with only cold and lonely days.
You may never forget your heartache, but someday you will be healed and happy again. Until then, the ten ideas below may make your holidays seem a bit more bearable and that damaged heart feel a little less painful:
Related: Mending Your Broken Heart
1.Volunteer: No matter the time of year, giving to others can mend a hurt soul and fix any frown. During the holidays, the opportunities to volunteer seem to multiply, making it extra easy for you to make a difference in someone else’s life.
2. Listen to holiday music: There’s something so innocent and childlike about holiday music. It’ll take you back to those days when your biggest worry was whether or not the item at the top of your wish list would be waiting for you to unwrap it.
3. Take up a new hobby: Attend a cooking class (Whole Foods offers great options) or take a knitting course and make a homemade gift for someone special. If you live in a snow-filled spot, give snow skiing a try. By being outside of your comfort zone, you’ll not only distract yourself from your heartbreak, but you’ll also regain your confidence.
Related: Nicole Porter Discusses “The Break-Up Cookbook”
4. Enjoy hot cocoa by the fire: A cozy spot and delicious drink are sure to warm your heart during this holiday season. Snuggle up with a good book or have some girl-bonding time with your mother, sister, or best friend.
5. Watch a feel-good holiday movie: It’s important to remember that you will find love again, and a holiday movie is the perfect way to do just that. The options are endless: The Holiday, Four Christmases, Miracle on 34th Street and more. As Hugh Grant’s dreamy voice tells us in Love Actually, “If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion … love actually is all around.”
