A lot of people really love Christmas, but then there are many that don’t!

Christmas can be a joyous time of year filled with laughter, love, and lots of good food. However, it can also be expensive, stressful and overwhelming, and for people who are not surrounded by family and friends, for whatever reason, it can also be sad and lonely.

If you’re struggling to get into the Christmas spirit, we hope this article helps.

Listen to some Christmas music

One of the best ways to start feeling Christmassy is to put on some holiday tunes while cleaning the house or putting up your tree.

“All I want for Christmas is you” by Mariah Carey or Bing Crosby’s “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” immediately conjure up a warm holiday glow, and before you know it, you’ll probably be singing along, even involuntarily!

You can also find a wide selection of Christmas medleys on YouTube, including classic carols like ‘Away in a Manger’, ‘Silent Night’, or ‘Jingle Bells’.

Treat yourself to some indulgent Christmas food and drink

One of the best things about Christmas is being able to eat and drink pretty much anything you like for the whole of December because “it’s Christmas”.

We suggest buying some top-quality chocolates or a range of special cheeses on 1 December, and having a nibble every morning in the lead up to the big day, to create a sort of ‘I’ll get through this’ makeshift advent calendar.

You could even add a weekly glass of wine or eggnog to this ritual because, well, it’s Christmas!

Watch a Christmas movie

Classic Christmas movies will be flooding the TV schedule in the run-up to 25 December, so you should be able to find one that’ll kickstart your festive feelings.

Begin with a funny flick like ‘Home Alone’, ‘Scrooged’ or ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’. Then you could move onto an alternative slant with ‘Gremlins’ or ‘Die Hard’ before graduating up to soft, sappy and heart-warming features, such as ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, ‘The Polar Express’ or ‘A Christmas Carol’.

If you’re not in the holiday mood after watching one, or two, or more of these films, watch them again!

Buy yourself a Christmas present or two

Buying Christmas presents for family and friends can be made into less of a chore if you also buy yourself a few gifts along the way.

Are you thinking of getting your partner a watch? Why not pick up some earrings for yourself at the jewellery store at the same time. Buying your best friend a book? Grab the latest bestselling novel or self-help book for you too.

Retail therapy has been proven to lift a person’s mood. Just keep your budget in mind as you go, and try not to go over it.

Get away from it all

If all else fails why not book a staycation or a vacation and get away from having to think too much about Christmas at all. If you’re staying at a hotel over the Christmas period, you won’t have to decorate your house, buy lots of food, or pretend you’re a Christmas person when you really aren’t.

Obviously, you won’t be able to escape Christmas altogether, because the hotel will probably be decorated, and have a Christmas menu and Christmas-themed events etc, but if you don’t want to take part you can always stay in your room until it’s all over!

Volunteer at a homeless shelter

We can all agree that Christmas has become very commercialised, and the true meaning might be getting lost.

One way to get back to what Christmas is all about would be to spend some time volunteering at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen during the festive period.

This should take your mind off any anxiety you might have about the holidays, while enabling you to give back and help people who are less fortunate than you.

Happy Christmas from Yello!