Don't Miss Mike & Friends TONIGHT for "Holiday Survival!" with Warriors for Life (WFL)

Join our Volunteer, Army Combat Medic Veteran, & Music Writer/Producer Mike Williams TONIGHT for "Mike Check" edition of Warriors for Life (WFL) Online, sponsored and presented by Victory for Veterans, Inc. (VFV).

We are asking everyone to share who we are and what support that Victory for Veterans, Inc. (VFV) is providing via WFL. If you know someone who is a veteran, first responder or a family member/caregiver, please ask them to join us for at least one meeting so they can learn more about what we do and how they can share their wisdom with others who may be able to learn from them.

TONIGHT's Topic: "Holiday Survival!"

Join Mike & Friends TONIGHT for a discussion about "Holiday Survival!" with a focus on when you have no Holiday Spirit.

“Setting boundaries in times of celebration is as important as what we did holding the line.”

Managing, Surviving, and Quietly Celebrating the Holidays When You Can’t Feel the “Spirit”

1. First: Give yourself permission not to be festive

You’re not broken because you don’t feel it.

It’s okay if this year is about survival, not sparkle. You don’t owe anyone fake joy. You’re allowed to say things like:

- “I’m laying low this year, but thank you for thinking of me.”

- “I may stop by for a little bit, but I might head out early.”

Think of it as a low-power mode holiday: minimal obligations, maximum gentleness.Sometimes just removing the pressure to “be merry” takes the weight off your chest.

2. Managing the season (so it doesn’t run you over)

Set simple boundaries:

- Decide ahead of time which events you’ll skip completely.

- Decide which ones you’ll time-box (for example: “I’ll stay one hour, then I’m allowed to leave.”).

- Have an exit line ready: “I’m getting tired, I’m going to head out, but it was good to see you.”

Protect the basics. When we’re depleted, holidays hit harder. Aim for:

- A bit more sleep than usual if you can.

- Regular food and water; don’t run on sugar and caffeine alone.

- Movement and daylight: even a 10–20 minute walk outside can help.

Make an “emotional go-bag”Keep a small personal kit ready for rough moments:

- A playlist that calms you (not necessarily holiday music).

- A grounding object (coin, stone, dog tag, necklace, etc.).

- A short list in your phone: “Things That Help When I’m Flooded,” such as:  

- Take a shower.  

- Step outside and take 10 slow breaths.  

- Text one safe person: “Today is hard.”

3. Softly shifting your state (without forcing cheer)

You don’t have to leap from numb to jolly. Think in small nudges.

Name what’s really going on

- “I feel numb.”

- “I’m angry this year is different.”

- “I’m lonely even around people.”

Putting words to it doesn’t fix it, but it can reduce the weight a bit.

Use your body as an anchor. When your mind won’t cooperate, go through the body:

- 4–6 breathing: breathe in for 4 seconds, out for 6, repeat for 2–3 minutes.

- Grounding with your senses:  

- 5 things you can see.  

- 4 things you can feel.  

- 3 things you can hear.  

- 2 things you can smell.  

- 1 thing you can taste.

- Warmth and weight: a warm drink, a weighted blanket, a hoodie, or wrapping up in a blanket can help your nervous system feel safer.

Let music be a bridgeIf holiday music feels like too much:

- Start with non-holiday songs that make you feel steady or understood.

- If you want, you can later try one or two gentle seasonal tracks—but there’s no pressure to do this at all.

4. Redefining “celebration” on your own terms

Celebrating doesn’t have to mean parties, shopping, or decorations. It can be quiet and simple.

Create a tiny personal ritualChoose one thing that marks the day as special, even if you’re alone:

- Light a candle and say, “I made it to this moment.”

- Cook one comforting thing (even if it’s just upgraded ramen or grilled cheese).

- Watch a favorite movie that has nothing to do with the holidays.

- Write a short note to your future self: “Here’s where I am, and here’s what I hope for you next year.”

Honor what (or who) you’ve lost, if grief is part of why you feel disconnected:

- Make a small memory ritual:  

- Look at one photo and tell one story.  

- Write them a letter.  

- Set a place at the table or raise a quiet toast.

The point is not to erase the hurt; it’s to let love and pain sit in the same room.

Offer kindness instead of “cheer” If you can’t feel joyful, you can still be gentle:

- Send one honest message: “Thinking of you today.”

- Pay for someone’s coffee, hold a door, or leave a kind note.

- If you have the bandwidth, consider a small act of service or volunteering—but only if it doesn’t drain you further. Micro-kindness counts.

5. If you’re feeling especially lonely

Holidays can amplify loneliness. If you’re solo or feel invisible:

- Plan at least one point of connection:  

- A phone call, video chat, or text where you’re slightly more real than “I’m fine.”

- Explore online spaces where others are also spending the holidays quietly (support groups, hobby communities, veteran or peer groups, grief or mental health circles).-

Remember: being alone and being a failure are not the same thing. Sometimes being alone is what you have, not who you are.

6. A simple “Bare-Minimum Holiday Plan”

If you don’t have the energy to think, here’s a basic plan you can follow.

Morning

- Drink water and eat something small.

- Step outside for 5–10 minutes and notice the air and the light.

- Do 2–3 minutes of slow breathing.

Midday

- One small connection (text, call, or message):  “Hey, just wanted to say I’m thinking of you. Hope you’re doing okay today.”

- Do one activity that feels neutral-to-good: a show, a game, a project, a drive, or a walk.

Evening

- One comforting food or drink (simple is fine).

- A tiny ritual: light a candle, say a quiet intention, or write three short sentences:  

- One thing that hurts.  

- One thing you’re grateful for.  

- One thing you hope for.

Then choose something gentle before bed (music, book, warm shower) and skip the self-judging review of the day.

7. When it feels heavier than “holiday blues”

If your thoughts drift into “What’s the point?”, “They’d be better off without me,” or anything that hints at not wanting to be here:

- That’s not you being weak—that’s you being overloaded.

- Reaching out is not being a burden; it’s taking your pain seriously.

If you’re in immediate danger or thinking about hurting yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line right away. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you’re elsewhere, your local health services can point you to a crisis line near you.

You deserve support, especially when you can’t feel any “spirit” at all. Surviving the holidays in one piece is enough. Anything beyond that is extra credit.

Quick Holiday Survival Kit

TONIGHT Mike Williams shares his song

"Holiday Survival"

When the world hangs tinsel on every silence

and you feel like an unplugged string of lights,

remember:

You are not broken

because your heart won’t flicker on command.

You are still worthy,

even if this year is about survival, not sparkle.

Let this be a low-power holiday.

No forced smiles, no extra shine—

just the soft truth:

“I don’t have to be merry to belong.”

Draw gentle boundaries.

You may say no.

You may leave early.

You may keep things quiet

to protect the small, flickering flame of you.

Keep a tiny invisible kit:

one honest song,

one grounding breath,

the promise to step outside

and feel the air remind you

you’re still here.

Redefine celebration

so it fits in tired hands:

one candle and the words,

“I made it to this moment.”

Simple food, a familiar movie—

comfort over spectacle.

If grief sits beside you,

don’t send it away.

Let love and pain share the same chair;

they were never truly separate.

If loneliness wraps around you,

know this:

being alone and being unlovable

are not the same thing.

One small message—

“Thinking of you today”—

is enough light for now.

Tonight, choose a bare-minimum ritual:

drink water, eat a little,

name one hurt, one help, one hope.

Wrap yourself in a blanket

as if you are someone

you’re sworn to protect.

Because you are.

And if the darkness whispers,

“What’s the point?”

answer softly:

“The point is that my heart,

even tired and uncelebrating,

is still choosing to stay.”

That, too, is a miracle—

one quiet breath,

one unsteady step,

a quiet celebration

of simply remaining.

Warriors for Life (WFL) Online "Mike Check" edition presented by Victory for Veterans, Inc. (VFV) — Friday (TONIGHT), December 5, 2025, @ 3:00 PM PT, 4:00 PM MT, 5:00 PM CT, & 6:00 PM ET

Join Zoom Meeting:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83145057228

Thank you,

Mike Williams,

Army Combat Medic Veteran, Music Writer/Producer, & Volunteer Facilitator, Victory for Veterans, Inc. (VFV)

"Honor & Respect Always — Warriors for Life!"