Caitlin and Dani realize that the approaching season feels a bit more like the holiDAZE than ever before. Many festive traditions are screeching to a halt as friends and family practice social distance once again. What will Thanksgiving… and Christmas or News Years look like this year? The Dolls have put their bows together and come up with 10 ways to keep your spirits bright during the holiday season while living in a Covid world.
We have all been struggling in one way or another… and as hard as it may be to put a smile on our faces, we hope and pray that there is light and love at the end of this Covid tunnel. There is still so much to be thankful for.
Never did these Dolls imagine that the CDC would be giving us guidelines on how to celebrate the holidays with our nearest and dearest. It’s like the further we get into 2020 the more it feels like an episode of the Twilight Zone.
Caitlin’s dad has been in the hospital and now a physical rehab facility with no visitors for over a month with no official release date yet. Dani hasn’t been able to see either of her beloved grandmothers since March. We have also become aware of the fact that Covid is now spreading within our small social gatherings, creating fear for many of us surrounding the holidays. Dani’s family has even canceled the their holiday celebrations to try and protect the family members who have not yet experienced the virus.
Especially with Cait’s pregnancy, we are trying our hardest to stay stress-free and focus on the good in the world. The baby can sense Cait’s mood and we are sending him-or-her all of our love!
This time of year is always a good place for reflection and that usually sparks different emotions for Guys and Dolls. Some of us feel elated during the holiday season and overjoyed with love and happiness. While others have an opposite experience – It’s a time of sadness and loneliness creating the holiday blues. Enter this global pandemic and all of our plans have changed drastically.
10 Ways to Deal with Covid Holidaze
- Acceptance: We are all responsible for the way we react to the world around us. Stop what you’re doing and check in with yourself. Find a place to sit comfortably and take a deep breath. If your holiday plans have been drastically changed due to the world we are living in today, let yourself digest these developments. Explore the thoughts and emotions that come to the forefront with this acceptance. Know that however you are feeling is valid, and that you are not alone. Along with this acknowledgment comes healing and understanding.
- Find the Silver Lining: With every mishap, every setback, every disappointment of 2020… we encourage you to look for the good. Positivity breeds positivity, happiness breeds happiness, love breeds love. This practice will take some getting used to, but we noticed an incredible difference from instituting it. What is your silver lining?
- Let’s Get Physical: Endorphins are free; they live within all of us and make bring happiness. Take a moment here to quote Elle Woods in your head. We recommend working out 3 times per week for 30-45 minutes for a positive mood boost and increased cognitive clarity! If you haven’t worked out in a while, remember there’s no time like now. There are loads exercises you can do at home… You may even want to try something new like yoga or zumba! Why not? We are personally fans of the Peleton or at home work outs with F45.
- Pamper yourself: You have two options here … You can either create your own at home spa experience or support one of your favorite local businesses. Lot’s of these types of businesses are offering great specials at this time. We’ve used our stay home orders as an opportunity to explore some great skincare products. Make sure you are following @onceuponadollhouse on Instagram for the latest! We’re also indulging in services from a fabulous Glen Ellyn spot, Bare All Beauty (check out this post for Black Friday specials). A fresh face, massage or new hairstyle always makes us feel great.
- Reconnect with your Pandemic Pal: Studies are stating that seasonal depression will be spiking to an all time high due to pandemic. Please check in on your loved ones and if you detect a real threat please call: 1.800.273.8255. We have to stick together to get on the other side of our Covid Holidaze.
- Communication: The way we see and talk to each other has drastically changed during 2020. If your family gathering has been cancelled, talk to each other and create a new plan. Set up a family video chat and send invites so it’s possible for you all to still have some type of celebration. You can cook together, have a game night, or enjoy a meal together virtually. Zoom is even eliminating their 40 minute time limit for Thanksgiving Day.
- Make New Traditions: Since this is such a radical change for us all, why not have fun with it? Put your spin on an old family recipe, or create something totally new, or consider supporting a local business and ordering takeout! If you have close friends in your “covid bubble”, check in and see if they want to spend time together.
- Expand your Horizons: We recommend that you take this ‘down’ time to immerse yourself in a hobby or interest. Find a podcasts, ebook, online course or app to support your crave for knowledge. You can always catch up on the Doll Talk Podcast or enroll in the Small Business Social Media Academy. Wink wink!
- Give a Gift: A thoughtful surprise can change someone’s world. Putting the time and effort into choosing a gift will pay off with a beaming smile and an excited FaceTime thank you! Making a loved one feel special is a delightful gift in and of itself. A heartfelt card or email can do the trick too – it may seam simple but it could brighten someone’s year… and that’s saying a lot in 2020. We believe that the best gifts come from the heart.
- LAUGH AND BE HAPPY! With everything around us feeling so serious it may be easy to forget to laugh, have fun and be happy. Research a funny book to read, watch a funny movie, watch stand up comedy, follow funny meme accounts on social media, dress up in a costume just for fun, call a friend to reminisce about fun adventures you’ve had together. Although the past year has been difficult most of the time, this experience is what we make of it. We are responsible for our own happiness and spreading love and positivity as much as possible.
Please remember that it’s going to take time, but this is temporary. Everything will change again. No matter what is going on in Caitlin or Dani’s personal lives – These Dolls are always here for you. The door to the Dollhouse is always open! We are just a DM away.