This is NPR's Life Kit and I'm Rachel Wilkerson Miller.

I'm normally over at Vice,

writing about taking care of yourself and other people.

And today I'm here on Life Kit

to talk about getting through the holidays.

Tis the season to be jolly, or so we're told.

The reality is, this time of year is often difficult

for a lot of people.

And this year, the standard holiday stress and loneliness

is compounded by a pandemic that has killed hundreds

of thousands of people in the US

and left millions unemployed.

The news right now is grim,

with public health experts sending out increasingly

dire warnings about our pandemic winter.

At a time when most of us desperately need

some holiday cheer, we're being asked to make alternative plans

that in many instances won't involve the people we love the most

and look forward to celebrating with.

And a lot of our go-to coping mechanisms are off the table.

I think it really is a matter of understanding

that this is going to be subpar, no matter what.

...