So what is a Holiday Funk? A funk is a mood that one gets in when something else is on their mind and they don’t give their all in what they are currently doing. They aren’t really being rude to anyone, but that person can tell that you are in a funk by the way you respond and carry yourself. So hence the “holiday funk” was born!

In 2008, I spent my first holiday season alone; I remember that the hardest part was accepting that my husband was gone. The holiday’s for us was always about starting new traditions, and before I got into my funk, my husband wanted to ensure that no matter what, the holiday traditions would still continue. I will admit that the first few weeks I was in my funk and refused to have the holidays without him. But who was I to make that choice, and why would I do that to my son? I slowly accepted that things needed to move on, for the sake of my son and my husband who wanted us to keep all traditions going. I kept busy by planning outings with my son and family. I needed to ensure that my mind would stay busy enough, so that I didn’t have time to think about missing my husband through the holidays. And it did help us get through it, and today I like to share what I did in hopes that it helps others around this time of year.

Keep Organized: The holiday funk affect the brain in more than one way. I guess I had what they call “deployment brain”; it is very similar to “pregnancy brain”, in which I would forget everything. Luckily I quickly realized that with the holidays quickly approaching, I needed to get my head on straight. So being the planner that I am, it helped me to stay organized by making daily “to do” lists. I would write down anything that I had thought about doing the previous day. If I didn’t get to it, no worries at least I didn’t forget anything!

Get Care Packages sent early: The holiday season is not only busy for us but especially for the post office. I was glad that I looked into care packages early in October, because by the end of October, our holiday car package was on its way! Ensure that you prepare your soldiers package at least a month before the holiday to ensure it arrives on time. One less stress factor in beating the funk!

Keep Tradition Alive: As I had promised my husband, I was going to keep all our holiday traditions going with or without him. Just like adults need it, children also need to have some consistency throughout the holidays. We baked, decorated, sang songs, and planned various holiday events in the area. It was difficult at first, but worth the smile it brought on my sons face.

Stay Active in your Military Support Group: Whether you are National Guard, Reserve or an Active component your local military installation and units will provide meetings and activities to help aide spouses through the holidays. Although the events were limited at my husband’s unit, we took part in as many as we could. Sharing the holidays with others who are going through the same separation was comforting for me.

Airman and Family Readiness Center

Army Community Service Center

Navy Fleet and Family Support Center

Marine Corps Community Services Center

Whether you have children or not, try and think about the great things that the holidays bring. With happy thoughts and a little bit of planning, you will soon see yourself enjoying the holiday season a bit more. Happy Holiday’s!

For more on Angela Caban, visit her website at www.angelacaban.com.

Join me and other military spouses on my Facebook, Twitter or MySpace fan page.