5 Ways to Make the Most of a Pandemic Holiday Season

In a year unlike anything any of us have seen before, it’s become pretty clear that there’s a lot we’ve taken for granted in the times that came before. We’re missing out on big family celebrations and the social mixers we’re used to during the holidays. We’re learning to live with Zoom fatigue and find new things to keep us going in our spaces—2020 has had us experience life in an entirely different way, and it’s not quite done with us yet.

But despite how much things have changed during the pandemic, it doesn’t mean we have to throw in the towel on the holidays!  If there is anything that 2020 has taught us, it’s how to make the most of not-so-ideal situations. It might not be the holiday season that we’re used to, but that just means we need to get more creative in what we do to celebrate.

Here are five ways you can make the most of the holiday season, even when when stuck at home.

1. Home-Cooked Meals

One of the things we look forward to are the grand meals that come with the holiday season, but a pandemic doesn’t mean we can’t have them—it just means that we’ll have to do more of the work ourselves!

Sure, we usually might never think to tackle recipes like these with all the time and pressure that usually comes with preparing a holiday feast, but those time-honoured tastes and aromas might be exactly what you need in a season where you might not get them otherwise.

So, roll up those sleeves, get a recipe and do some experimenting in the kitchen!  Who knows—it might even be fun!

2.  Start a New Tradition

Maybe you’re at home with young children, all full of energy and constantly looking for activities that’ll entertain them enough to get you through until bedtime. Maybe it’s you and your dog, just doing your thing in the pandemic while you snuggle on the couch. There’s no “right” grouping to fit the people we care about, but no matter whoever’s in that group, only those people know the celebrations and traditions that are right for them.  Now is a great time to start a new one!

It could be that funny holiday photo series you always wanted to start up, or a family gratitude journal of the things keeping everyone going. We’re living through a history we’ll eventually look back on, and what better way to do that than with a tradition that started because of it?

3. Get on the Phone

Being on camera can be tiring.  Staring at a screen and trying to emulate what our conversations used to be like face-to-face… but we need to accept that it’s not and find new ways to communicate in a way that won’t wear us out.

Phone calls with people who matter to you—or even people that you haven’t made time to talk to in a while—can do a lot to rejuvenate your soul at a time where it can be so easily depleted. And there’s so much less pressure to be on a phone call than there is to focus on a face on the screen—if you want to have a conversation you can really sink into, try using your phone… as a phone… and reconnect the old-fashioned way!

4. Get Outside

Yes, it might be getting colder out there, but it’s one of the most beautiful times of year to go out and see your neighbourhood with the lights and decorations up for the holiday season. You’ve probably been getting out for walks already, but this time of year breathes new life into things—new things to go out there and discover!

Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean it’s the only place you have to be. The pandemic has us falling back in love with our neighbourhoods again—go out there and make the most of it!

5. Plan a Holiday

It may seem like a strange strategy but this is a fantastic time for plotting your next escape. Even if it’s just armchair travel, dreaming of warmer climates and exotic tastes can make the winter days seem automatically sunnier.

Get the family involved and make a list of all the places you all would like to go, then all the things you could do when you’re there!

Don’t let a pandemic stop you from having a happy holiday season—make the most of it!  Yes, the holidays will look a bit different this year, and we’ll all need to make adjustments to make it work. But you need to do what’s right for you and your family, and don’t let anything else get in your way.

Happy holidays, everybody!