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Advice and inspiration for the holiday season

Send an #OptionBThere holiday card

When someone you care about is going through a tough time, cheery holiday sentiments can fall short. Share love with these honest holiday cards, made in partnership with PAPYRUS.

Expert Advice

Help your loved ones make the most of their holidays

Tips for helping friends and family participate in the holidays in a way that works for them.
Expert Advice

Teach children empathy

Tips to help your child learn empathy skills, including a holiday bingo game to make practicing them fun.
TIME Story

The holidays are hard if you struggle with mental illness—don’t blame yourself

By Kesha
Expert Advice

Find a way to help

A list of small things you can do to make a big difference in a loved one’s life, sourced from the Option B community.

Get tips and how-to’s all season

Advice for how to help yourself or a loved one navigate a challenging holiday, delivered to your phone or inbox.
Expert Advice

Start a conversation

What to say to let loved ones know it’s OK to share their true feelings.
Community Story

“I got the greatest help from an unexpected source—my amazing children.”

By Alan Roman
Community Story

“Thanks to my friend and her mom, I was saved from a pretty awful holiday—and found a husband.”

By Marisa Renee Lee
Expert Advice

Host an “all feelings welcome” dinner

A guide to hosting an event for friends who are struggling this holiday season, from the experts at The Dinner Party.
Expert Advice

Face financial hardship without guilt or shame

Discover how thoughts and feelings about money can affect how we spend—and how to stick to a budget while still enjoying the holidays.
Community Story

“She just sat there and listened—and that meant a lot.”

By Leticia Pizarro Velilla
Expert Advice

Comfort a friend facing a lonely holiday

Understand why loneliness can hurt and how you can offer support during the holiday season.
Expert Advice

Play a feel-good game

A custom #OptionBThere card game to help you and your loved ones focus on moments of joy, celebrate small victories, and practice gratitude.
TIME Story

Grief may change some holiday traditions, but you can create new ones

By Robin Roberts
Expert Advice

Honor lost loved ones

A list of ways to help keep a loved one’s memory alive, from planting a memorial tree to cooking a favorite recipe.
Expert Advice

Be thoughtful about holiday greetings

Suggestions for what to say when tried-and-true holiday greetings don’t feel quite right.
Community Story

“My desire to experience Christmas authentically was my motivation to come out to my family.”

By Sarah McBride
Community Story

“We continued to thrive to the extent possible because an army of loved ones held us fast through the tortured holiday season.”

By John Duberstein
Expert advice

Be an ally at holiday events

Six tips on being a supportive “plus-one” at holiday gatherings for a friend who may have mixed feelings about attending.
Expert Advice

Declare your holiday bill of rights

A seven-step guide to approaching the holidays on your own terms, starting with accepting your feelings.

Connect with people who understand

Join an Option B Facebook group to connect with people who’ve had similar experiences and are ready to offer support.
Community Story

“Though the holidays are still the toughest time, I have an incredible support system to help me stay strong.”

By Heidi
Expert Advice

Support kids whose families have changed

Advice for how to help children navigate the holidays in the wake of death or divorce, from experts on helping kids build resilience.
TIME Story

How to conquer loneliness during the holidays

By Patton Oswalt
Expert Advice

Support a loved one working through addiction

Learn why addiction can be harder to manage during the holidays—and how you can best support a friend in recovery.
Expert Advice

Find inspiration in religious traditions

Reflections on what different faiths teach us about finding light when we need it most, from Stanford University’s former dean for religious life.
Expert Advice

Give meaningful gifts

Holiday gift ideas, like a homemade photo album, that let a friend know how much you care, sourced from the Option B community.
Community Story

“Helping other families gives us a focus beyond our own pain.”

By Isabel Hernandez-Torres
Expert Advice

Resolve to be there beyond the holidays

Steps for making a plan to be there for your loved ones after the holidays are over.
Community Story

“For the most part, the day felt like any other Christmas.”

By Beth Finke
Expert Advice

Discover your empathy superpower

A tool to help you find the best way you can support your friends and family during the holidays, from empathy expert Dr. Kelsey Crowe.
Expert Advice

Write down positive moments

Small steps you can take to appreciate the good in your daily life this holiday season.
TIME Story

The new year is a time for hope, even after tragedy

By Gabby Giffords & Mark Kelly
Expert Advice

Find ways to be there—even when you’re far away

Eight ways to show your support for friends and loved ones when distance keeps you apart.
Community Story

“The holidays were never about material things—they were, and always will be, about family and love.”

By Liz Prives
Expert Advice

Volunteer for a Good Cause

Recommendations to help you give back—because doing good for others is good for you, too.

Read Article
Expert Advice

Send an old-fashioned letter

Advice for writing a heartfelt letter to lift your friend’s spirits.
Expert Advice

Care for the caregivers in your life

Steps you can take to support caregivers—who give so much of themselves to the ones they love, no matter the season.
TIME Story

What I’ve learned over the 19 Christmases since my husband died

By Katie Couric
Expert Advice

Ask for the help you need

A guide to deciding how your friends and loved ones can help you over the holidays—and tips for how to ask.
Community Story

“After twelve years, he could open a present on his own. And she captured it on video.”

By Keith Hammond

Resilience is like a muscle.
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