From cheer to challenge. 3 Reasons why this time of year sucks for many. And 1 thing you can do about it. (Revised.)

Nov 9, 2024

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In the months of November and December there are holidays besides Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas. It’s supposedly, “the most wonderful time of year.” Yet for many, it’s not. There’s a few reasons why.

Reason #1: Some people have family they are expected to visit and they don’t want to. Just the thought of visiting those family members or friends fills them with dread.

Reason #2: Other people don’t have friends or family to visit. (Shout out to you.)

Reason #3: Traveling is expensive and stressful. According to CNBC (1), in 2023, the time to book a holiday flight was in October. US News and World Report says, “Unexpected delays, traffic and crowds can also lead to stress.”(3) And according to AAA, 80 million people are expected to travel for Thanksgiving alone this year. Yowza! (4)

According to The Motley Fool in 2023, 62% of Americans planned to travel for the holidays. The average travel budget is $2005. (2) (Again Yowza!) There are also people who are choosing between paying the bills or buying food. So a trip anywhere isn’t going to happen.

I fall into the first group. I have family who live in a town I lived in for longer than I want to think about, because I was absolutely miserable. Going back, even for a few days, wasn’t fun, I didn’t look forward to it. I didn’t want to go. At all. The family’s situation hasn’t improved.

There have been several holidays I spent alone. While not always ideal, yet it’s better than the frustrations that come with traveling this time of year. If the just the thought of visiting family or friends fills you with dread, do yourself a favor and don’t go. You read that correctly. Don’t go. It’s not worth the anxiety and frustration. Be bold. Daring. Don’t go. You’d better believe if I had $2005 to spend on a trip I’m going somewhere I want to go to.

Cheers

What are your holiday plans? Let me know in the comment section below.

(1) https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/14/when-to-book-your-holiday-travel-and-flights-in-2024.html

(2) https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shocking-stats-real-cost-holiday-140021322.html

(3) https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-11-21/holiday-travel-sends-stress-levels-sky-high-heres-tips-to-cope

(4) https://newsroom.aaa.com/2024/11/nearly-80-million-americans-expected-to-travel-over-thanksgiving/