Anyone else not feeling all the holiday parties?

[Anonymous]

Last year, we threw a giant holiday party. I was super festive and attended many parties. I was happy to see people who I didn’t see before the pandemic and meet new people. I was active at my kids’ schools.

This year, I don’t feel like socializing. I am trying to find excuses not to go to dinners and parties. I don’t feel like getting dressed up.

Anyone not feeling social this holiday season?

[Anonymous]

Could be a few things- maybe you miss the relative calm of COVID times, so you had a fun novel season last year & are ready to go back to calm.

But if you had fun last year, maybe you are feeling depressed?

I mean I always feel that way, I’m not into big parties so I definitely echo your feelings. But the fact that you enjoyed many parties last year (& even planned one yourself) but want to hide out at home this year could be a reason to question how you are feeling mentally/emotionally this year. Maybe you just need downtime from a busy time. But if you are avoiding things you normally enjoy, you might want to take a look at that.

[Anonymous]

Two years of Covid really put the brakes on big holiday parties. I do miss them to some extent but right now I’ve got friends with the flu, Covid, weeks of hacking cough etc etc. Big crowded indoor parties where everyone is hugging isn’t very appealing right now. We have a bunch of family events over the next few weeks and I will be very happy to get through them in good health.

[Anonymous]

Yes, that was me in the doldrums last Saturday. I made an effort to get dressed up on Sunday for another event, and I noticed it helped - looking the part triggered feeling the part. Then today I woke up to some snow! And now I'm feeling genuinely a bit more festive

[Anonymous]

That’s me every year.

[Anonymous]

I’m glad we were away for the one holiday party we were invited to.

[Anonymous]

My DH feels this way, so I leave him at home and go and have fun. I had 3 parties this weekend that I went to, and he stayed home to watch football. We both are working from home all day, 7 days a week, so while I would never have gone without him pre-COVID, this is our happy compromise.

[Anonymous]

We spend most of the winter in Florida and it’s hard to get in the holiday spirit when it’s 80 degrees. In our neighborhood there are very few Christmas lights and all we have is a wreath on our front door. We will fly north for Christmas and it will be nice to see some holiday spirit but my days of enjoying big holiday parties are behind me.

[Anonymous]

Well, we haven't been invited to any. Not one. So I guess you aren't alone.

[Anonymous]

Not me. Looking forward to them.

[Anonymous]

I'm always sick We travel during Thanksgiving and then spend several weeks sick (5 of us and one of us gets it in a row, not at the same time).

I love holiday parties though! I'm so thrilled that my work is having one (a small one in our largest conference room). I've really missed seeing people

[Anonymous]

I'm feeling festive, but not interested in big socializing like I used to be. More into quiet nights at home with family and/or very close friends. I very much do not enjoy going out as much as I used to. Some of its probably just aging, some of it is probably seasonal change (I notoriously hate leaving the house after its already dark outside). I've also been traveling a ton, then got COVID, then got a mild cold that hasn't cleared. I think its ok to feel this way and just hibernate if you want. A lot of us are.

[Anonymous]

I agree.

I just don’t have the bandwidth for sitting silently with a mild smile and listening to all of the drama while trying to figure out who to agree with in order to avoid being dragged into it.