The psychologist gave advice on dealing with loneliness during the holidays

Holidays often increase the experience of loneliness, even for those who are in a relationship. Liya Shagabutdinova, a psychologist and founder of the Profi Psy Team, told Izvestia on March 3.

"Holidays often exacerbate feelings of loneliness, regardless of whether a person is in a relationship or not: sometimes it happens that you feel lonely even in a relationship. On such days, social comparison increases: there are many images of "perfect happiness" around, and there is a feeling that something is wrong with you. Scrolling through social networks, we see dozens of photos of other people's gifts, bouquets and happy couples, but we do not see fatigue, quarrels or disappointments, which often remain behind the scenes," the expert noted.

According to her, it is important to distinguish between a state of solitude and a feeling of one's own uselessness. Loneliness on a holiday is a temporary circumstance, not an indicator of personal worth or ability to build relationships. The increase in emotional tension is largely due to the constant comparison of oneself with other people's images of the "ideal" holiday.

Shagabutdinova recommends reducing the emotional burden in advance for those who are having a hard time enduring the holidays. In particular, it is useful to limit the consumption of content on social networks and switch attention to offline activities such as a movie, book or podcast. This approach helps to reduce internal criticism and reduce the impact of imposed happiness scenarios.

The expert also advises thinking through actions that create a sense of support and bodily peace. These can be meetings with loved ones, walks, sports, small trips, or familiar rituals like watching your favorite TV series. According to her, through physical activity, the nervous system returns to a stable state faster.

"It's important not to set yourself the task of being in a good mood. Trying to have fun by force often leads to the opposite effect — suppressed emotions still find a way out. It is much more careful to allow yourself to live sadness, if it arises, and support yourself at this moment, rather than criticize," the psychologist emphasized.

She added that a holiday can be a reason to shift the focus from evaluating yourself through having a partner to taking care of your own needs. Temporarily distancing oneself from people or situations that increase pain and paying attention to one's own feelings can be the first step towards a more stable emotional state.

Irina Krashkina, a psychotherapist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic), Candidate of Medical Sciences, spoke about the effect of compliments on health. According to her, this is not just a polite phrase about appearance, but a signal of recognition and importance. When a person hears sincere words of support, the brain triggers reactions related to feelings of pleasure, security, and belonging to a group.

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