The Meaning of Holidays When You Are Far Away from Home

Holidays are often the happiest and most joyful times for the majority. What could be better than sipping hot chocolate on a cold winter day accompanied by the laughter of your parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews?

However, it may happen that spending much time together might just not be possible due to various reasons such as work responsibilities, immigration, or it is simply your personal choice.

It is the unspoken pain that stems from loneliness and our instinct to seek a sense of belonging. The absence of familial bonds might take a toll on your mental health when you scroll through social media, a platform that tends to glorify the reality of typical family gatherings. How do you make meaning about yourself after comparing your self-perceived loneliness and misery with others’ glorified happiness?

Could this time of solitude, on the other hand, provide you with opportunities? Perhaps an opportunity to reflect on your values? What if this is an opportunity to tune into your needs and learn different ways to meet them? Perhaps the need to feel a sense of belonging could be met by engaging more with your friends and community, or just knocking on your neighbours' door to get to know them more, or even talking to strangers to share the joys together.

Your holidays do not have to be filled with loneliness when you are far away from home; maybe it depends on how you define your kind of "home".