How to Avoid Holiday Depression After Relocating

            How to Avoid Holiday Depression After Relocating

With the holiday season upon us, I know many expats will be far from home. This is a time when it’s all too easy to get caught up in missing your friends and family back home, and wishing you were with them, leading to possible bouts of depression. Especially if you are in a country that doesn’t celebrate a holiday that is traditional for your country, such as Thanksgiving. It can be even harder to find that life continues as normal on a day you’re used to sharing with your family. And, don’t forget the weather! If home is a place where winter is snowy and cold, and you’re someplace in the Southern Hemisphere, then it’s going to feel really strange to find people swimming and walking around in t-shirts, which can make home feel even further away.

However, you also have the choice to see this as a time of discovery, welcoming in new traditions. I have spent Thanksgiving in Paris twice, once with a fellow expat who cooked us a lovely dinner, and another time with friends, dining at a restaurant that had a special Thanksgiving menu. Actually, the restaurant experience was one of those prix-fixe menus with a leg of Turkey that resembled duck confit, and a very French-ified version of mashed potatoes, etc. It was like gourmet gone wrong. (Really, is there a way to make roasted/fried turkey gourmet?) The wine, of course, was great, and so my friends and I enjoyed each other’s company, and had a good laugh at the meal. Of course, it was wonderful, for us, to be with each other, and we were grateful that a country that doesn’t even celebrate this holiday, gave us a way to honor it by combining our tradition with theirs.

I’ve also spent Christmas in Normandie, where we ate Oysters instead of the meat, or turkey and potatoes I’m accustomed to at this time of year. Though I wasn’t with my family, I bonded with others over wine and oysters till the wee hours, sharing discussion, laughter and fun.

What I find is most important is making sure to celebrate the occasions, and to honor them with good friends.

Here are a few ideas for you to consider during the holiday season:

1. If you can’t go home, see if home can come to you! Invite your friends and family to visit you.

2. Reach out to neighbors, colleagues, and new friends, and ask the ones you’re closest to if you can spend any of the holiday season together.

3. If you feel you don’t know anyone well enough yet, then look for other expats in your area. If, for example, you’re an American living in Peru, see what other expats are there using something like Facebook or Google, doing a search for expats near where you live.

4. If you can’t find anyone to spend the holiday with, see if any restaurants or community organizations might be holding a holiday dinner. This way, you can at least be surrounded by people, rather than alone.

5. Now is a great time to make new friends! Take full advantage of every method possible to meet new people.

6. Host a dinner at your place for the holidays and invite your new and old friends over to enjoy the time together.