Why It’s Okay to Feel Disappointed After the Holidays
The holiday season is known as "the most wonderful time of the year," so why do some of us come out of it feeling a little more disappointed than we'd like to?
While disappointment may not be what each of us was hoping to find under our Christmas trees this year, it's quite common to feel it anyway when the holidays have passed. It's also nothing to feel bad about, no matter what it is that caused you to feel it in the first place. With that said, here's why it's totally okay to feel disappointed after the holidays.
1. Because We Place a Lot of Pressure on Them
We hear so much about how to create the "perfect" Christmas or New Year's, that we can easily feel disappointed when things felt a little less than perfect in reality. That's nothing to feel ashamed about, as you're absolutely allowed to wish that things had gone a little more the way you'd wanted them to.
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Also read about: 4 Things You Don't Need to Do During the Holidays
2. Because You're Human
Disappointment is a completely normal thing to experience. It doesn't matter if you're disappointed with the gifts you got (even if you think that makes you selfish) or with how your family behaved during your celebrations, you're allowed to feel your feelings no matter what caused them.
3. Because You're Stronger Than You Think
Unfortunately, feeling disappointed when things don't go the way you'd hoped is all too normal, but it's also something that you can take in stride to live your life in a way that makes you truly happy. You can take your experience and use it to know what people and/or situations to avoid in the future, and you can do what you need to in order to feel joyful again in the meantime.
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Also read about: Here Are All of THE Best Original Holiday Songs of 2022
4. Because It Doesn't Lessen the Good Parts of the Holidays
It's easy to let one bad thing destroy what was otherwise a great time, but you should try your hardest not to let your disappointment ruin your memories or how you think about the day. Let yourself feel your emotions (and don't try to swallow them), but also try to focus on all the things that did bring you joy about the day/holiday season in general. Whatever made you smile or whatever you enjoyed in any way is what you should try to think about more often than whatever did go "wrong."
5. Because Your Friends Are There to Listen
It's okay to vent. It's okay to feel weird about how your holidays went down. The truth is, most, if not all of your friends, were probably also at least a little bit disappointed by some part of their holidays, and they're there to listen to you talk about yours just as you're there to listen to them speak about theirs. You might be surprised who else is going through something similar.
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Also read about: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations With Family During the Holidays
6. Because There's Always Next Year
Don't get caught up in a holiday season that didn't go as well as you'd hoped. There's always next year (and the year after that, and the year after that…), so you don't need to get overwhelmed by this one. Try to be realistic and focus on the things that make you happy now instead.
If one of the things that left you disappointed with how your holidays went is that you were single through them, it's time to reshape your thinking. Click HERE to check out our list of the perks of being single during the holidays.