Getting Through the Holidays When You’re Struggling

By The Emily Joy Project

The holidays are often painted as a season of joy, family, and togetherness - but for many, they can also bring stress, loneliness, or reminders of loss. If you’re finding it hard to feel merry this year, please know this: you’re not alone, and there is still hope to be found, even in the quiet and difficult moments.

Whether you’re grieving, in recovery, or simply trying to make ends meet, this season can still hold meaning and light; it just may look a little different. Let’s talk about how to move through the holidays with grace, peace, and purpose.

Simple Ways to Save Money and Reduce Stress

The holidays don’t have to break your budget to be beautiful.
Here are a few ways to celebrate without financial strain:

• Set spending limits - and stick to them. Love isn’t measured by price tags.

• Create handmade or heartfelt gifts. Write letters, bake cookies, frame a favorite photo, or offer acts of service like babysitting or helping with errands.

• Do free things that spark joy. Take a walk to see Christmas lights, watch old movies, make hot chocolate at home, or share stories from holidays past.

• Say no when you need to. You’re allowed to set boundaries with spending, time, and energy. Protect your peace first - everything else will follow.

Remember: the people who truly love you don’t want your debt, they want your presence.

Keeping a Positive Mindset

When your heart feels heavy, positivity can seem impossible, but it often begins with the smallest shifts.

• Practice gratitude, even for the little things. A warm blanket, a kind word, a quiet morning - these moments are gifts.

• Let go of comparison. Your holiday doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It only needs to feel real and meaningful to you.

• Take care of your spirit. Light a candle, pray, meditate, or journal about what you’re grateful for.

• Surround yourself with hope. Listen to uplifting music, read encouraging words, and connect with people who remind you that light still exists, even in hard seasons.

Every time you choose hope over despair, you are choosing healing.

Remember Why We Celebrate

The holidays were never meant to be about perfection; they’re about connection.
They’re about love, grace, and gratitude.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or simply the beauty of giving and togetherness, remember: the heart of this season is about renewal. It’s about remembering that love was born into this world to bring light into darkness.

When we return to that truth, even the hardest holiday can begin to shine again.

Where to Go for Help (and Where to Offer It)

If you’re struggling, please don’t suffer in silence. Reach out - help is closer than you think.

• If you’re in crisis: Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - free and confidential, 24/7.

• If you’re in recovery: Reach out to your local AA, NA, or SMART Recovery groups for holiday meetings and support.

• If you’re grieving: Many churches, hospitals, and counseling centers offer Blue Christmas or Grief Through the Holidays services.

• If you’re simply lonely: Volunteer. Visit a nursing home, a women’s shelter, or an animal rescue. Connection heals both the giver and the receiver.

And if you’re in a place to help - do it.
Adopt a family, bring a meal to someone who’s struggling, or simply sit with a friend who needs to be heard. Sometimes the most powerful gift you can give is your presence.

Final Thoughts

This holiday season, remember - it’s okay to not have it all together.
You can celebrate quietly. You can rest instead of rush. You can grieve and still find moments of joy.

The light you’re looking for isn’t in a store or a perfect plan.
It’s in your heart, in your resilience, your love, and your willingness to keep going.

So breathe deeply. Release the pressure.
Let this be a season of grace, not perfection.
Because even in your hardest days, you are still someone’s reason to believe.

With love,
The Emily Joy Project
Hope. Healing. Sisterhood. 💛