A Guide To Feeling Good Around the Holidays

It’s that time of year again when the leaves start to fall and the Starbucks outside of the Stern building cannot keep chai in stock. The season of midterms, obsessively planning Halloweekend, and binge-watching Gilmore Girls. Yes, fall is in full swing, and with the holiday season around the corner, I think we all need a reminder of how to keep ourselves feeling good and on track, despite the numerous detractors from feeling present in this season.

Making the Plan:

Around the holidays, we get so busy focusing on other elements that we forget to set aside time to enjoy and explore. As such, I find making plans a proactive step to make sure we spend time outside the house. Regardless of whether you are planning a pumpkin patch visit with a group of your best friends, or a solo trip to your favorite coffee shop on a quest for the perfect pumpkin spice latte, remember to enjoy the moment. And while planning is important, remember that spontaneity can sometimes lead to the best memories too. Some of my holiday activities to add to the calendar are:

Visiting a Pumpkin Patch or Apple Orchard- Grab a group of friends for an aesthetic day upstate and enjoy nature away from the city for a day!

Coffee Shop Crawl- Grab a friend or go solo, and coffee shop hop until you drop! Two of my favorite places are Cafe Reggio and Guest, which are each about a five-minute walk from the Washington Square Park campus!

Visiting a Holiday Market- The Union Square Holiday Market is an amazing place for all of your holiday shopping needs, and it's open from November 16th through December 24th this year!

Go on a Book Date- This is a bit of a time-consuming one, but you and a friend bring a new or used copy of your favorite books: you exchange them and spend a set amount of time reading and annotating. At the end you return the book to each other, along with all the commentary to enjoy. One of my favorite books is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizebeth Gilbert. It’s a great book about self-reflection, which I find myself doing a lot of as the year comes to a close. Another great book is A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith, a coming-of-age story set in 1943 Brooklyn. I find it to be a light read and especially enjoyable for a cool fall day in the park.

Host a Friendsgiving or a Cookie Exchange- I always find Friendsgiving to be a hit among my friend group as an activity to bring us together during one of the busiest times of the year. It can be a time for potluck, games, or even just sitting and enjoying each other’s presence. As for a gift exchange, who doesn’t love cookies? Simply have each person bring a dozen cookies and leave with a dozen. Each person lays out their cookie creations on a large table and chooses twelve from the array of cookies that have been brought by their friends to take home with them. I always find this is a fun way to bring a big group of friends together and bring a little joy to a season that is otherwise pretty stressful.

Feeling Isolated Around the Holidays:

An issue many people face during the holiday season is being away from family or loved ones. During a time when everyone seems to be around the ones they love, it can be hard to be separated from your support system at home. NYU has one of the largest international student populations in the nation, and so it can be challenging here. However, some of the best advice I can give is to search for community and create a support system here. While your home might be hundreds of miles away, that doesn’t mean you cannot have another one here. Spend time connecting with some friends, join a club, or attend a university-wide event and put yourself out there to meet new people. You never know what those connections could mean to you five years from now— the people you meet could become some of your best friends!

However, in creating a new support system, don’t forget about the people at home too. For me, nothing beats the connections of those friends who know me best, and sometimes I have to remind myself after a particularly bad day, they’re only one Facetime call away.

Self-Care/ Treat Yourself:

The holidays mean something different to each and every one of us. Sometimes it means extended time with family, but sometimes it means just taking more care of yourself. Treat yourself to that new book you’ve been wanting, the sweater you just pinned to your fall Pinterest board, or even to Starbucks on a busy day. Some festive NYC events coming up include: ice skating at Rockefeller Center or eating at one of the many unique holiday restaurants around the city. For instance, The Moxy in Times Square is famous for its pink holiday decorations: they even have pink hot chocolate!

These activities can be enjoyed alone or with a group of friends, but during the holiday season, it is good to find a balance. While I find myself drawn to taking every opportunity to go out and celebrate with my friends, this leaves me feeling drained. So finding a good balance is key to a season where you don’t overcommit.

Additionally, part of taking care of yourself in this season is limiting time on social media. I find it to detract from the present moment and set unrealistic expectations for your life. Social media’s inherent comparative nature can also take away any contentment you feel about your life and turn it into a sort of quasi-competition. I find unplugging more during this season leaves me feeling more fulfilled and allows me to enjoy what is happening around me, rather than feel like it is passing by without really enjoying it.

I also always find comfort in staying in and watching/rewatching some of my favorite movies and TV shows. Here is a short list of a few of my favorites:

Love, Actually (2003): A rom-com set in London follows the story of eight couples finding their way during the holiday season. This one is a great holiday movie as it’s set between Christmas and New Years, and reminds us of the importance of love in all its forms.

Gilmore Girls (2000): Set in a storybook town in Connecticut, it’s no secret that Gilmore Girls is a popular show to watch (and rewatch) among viewers. I find it to be a great comfort source around the holidays as the setting is so perfect for fall.

Holidate (2019)- Another great rom-com that stars Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey, this one is hilariously funny and a great lighthearted watch.

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989)- I really enjoy this movie for its situational humor and cinematography. It’s a classic Christmas movie, and a great reminder of how important it is to roll with the punches when things get crazy in this stressful season. Especially when the crazy you’re dealing with is your own family.

Conclusion:

Don’t forget, the holidays are what you make of them! The holidays mean something different to everyone, and it is important to understand they are actually meant to be enjoyed and not dreaded. And with each new season that comes into our lives, we love and we change in all sorts of ways. Enjoy it while it’s yours, and then when it no longer serves you, and the season fades away, you can keep the lessons you learned and release.