In an ideal world, the holiday season would be filled with cheerful spirits, random acts of kindness and somebody for everybody to kiss under the mistletoe. In the real world, the holiday season is an often stressful time that has been overrun by commercial enterprises, the rampant materialism that they promote, short fuses and a depressing focus on all that might be lacking in one’s life, especially if that deficit happens to be in the romance department.

Luckily, even if you aren’t dating anybody special this holiday season, there are plenty of things that you can do to keep your spirits joyful and make sure that your holiday experiences turn out to be merry ones. Check out the suggestions below for ideas on ways to combat the holiday blues.

• Show Gratitude - even though your natural instinct might lead you to focus on the negatives and dwell on what is missing from your life, the easiest way to avoid falling into a self-pity trap is to simply highlight the positives. Think about the people and things in your life for which you are most grateful and remind yourself about how lucky you are. Perhaps this would be a good time to send a card, make a phone call or offer some other gesture of kindness to those people who are most important to you.
  
  
• Use Attitude - sometimes thinking positively is all it takes for you to experience more positive emotions. Remember that the energy you receive will mirror the energy that you send out into the world so keep it joyful and joyful things are sure to follow.
  
  
• Give Back - though volunteer opportunities are something that you should make an effort to get involved in all year long, the holiday season is a great time to get started on a project that will give back to your community and the needy people in it. Check with your local non-profit organizations to see what opportunities are available in your area. Doing something kind for others in need is a great way to keep you feeling good about yourself and help out your community in the process.
  
  
• Look Inward - since the holiday season ushers in the start of a brand new year, take this opportunity to reflect on the past year and draw lessons from the experiences you have had in that time. Think about what it is that you would like to achieve in the coming year and then make a plan that clearly outlines what you will need to do in order to meet the new goals that you have set for yourself.