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A phenomenon called "cabin fever" tends to affect some people during the winter months. Long hours of darkness coupled with cold, inclement weather can put even the cheeriest person into a blue funk. For people who live alone, the effect can be more pronounced.

This year, in addition to the holiday blues, other factors are at play: social distancing and voluntary quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic. People who normally would venture outside to socialize during the holiday season might feel hesitant or not do it at all to prevent exposure to the virus. In those instances, friends and loved ones can mitigate feelings of isolation in various ways.