For a person who is not feeling particularly happy around Christmas time, seeing all the festive decorations, smiling people, and hearing all the Christmas music can be really overbearing. You don’t want to be a Scrooge, but it’s difficult to act like you’re excited for the holidays when in reality it’s just another day for you.

It’s sort of depressing to think back to your childhood, to when Christmas was actually the greatest time of the year. Remember the butterflies you would get on Christmas Eve night, when you were trying your hardest to go to sleep but couldn’t stop imagining that you heard foot steps on the roof? Or Christmas morning, when you would wake your parents up at ungodly hours of the morning, and force them to watch you open up the presents that Santa had left you. Christmas was truly magically when we were little, but lately it kind of just seems like a chore.

These “lack of holiday cheer” feelings are not uncommon, and they can come about for a variety of reasons. Maybe you’re missing someone, someone who used to make the holidays worthwhile. Or maybe your holidays just aren’t what they used to be; family and friends moved away, people chose to just stay home for the holidays…Something’s missing.

It’s okay to not be cheery during this time of year, even if it’s just because you just don’t feel like it. It’s a lot of work to put effort into a holiday you’re not too keen on celebrating, anyway.

If you do find yourself feeling this way, for whatever reason, do not let others make you feel bad for it.

"But it's the holidays! You can't be sad!"

Yes, you can.

Just know that it may not always be like this. New people may enter your life that will fill the void you may be feeling inside your heart this holiday season. Things will change, and you may find yourself loving the holidays again. Know it's not all bad, and try to do some things that make you happy.

Bake your favorite cookie, watch a funny holiday movie, binge eat those huge jars of popcorn they sell around this time of year, reach out to an old friend.

You may not be feeling 100%, and that's okay, but even the little things can go a long way, especially during the holiday season.