A holiday like Father’s Day can be incredibly painful if you don’t have a good relationship with your dad.

Just because Father’s Day is upon us, it doesn’t mean you should feel forced to go out of your way to reconnect or heal a broken connection – especially if it’s not your fault that the relationship is broken!

Here’s how you can approach Father’s Day to protect mental health and peace of mind.

Consider staying off social media for the day

Tons of people will be posting Father’s Day shoutouts across all social media platforms. This includes Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and more.

If it’s going to make you feel heartbroken, sad, or distraught to see other people hanging out with their fathers, it might be best to take a social media break for the day.

You don’t have to get rid of your social media apps forever… This is just a suggestion.

Fill the day with distracting activities

Instead of spending Father’s Day dwelling on the thought of whatever went wrong with your dad, it might behoove you to fill the day with activities that will keep you totally distracted.

If you’ve got a romantic partner in your life, plan a cute date. If you’re able to link up with some friends, arrange a get-together that’s worthwhile.

If you’re riding solo, sign up for an art class, binge-watch a series of intriguing movies, try baking a new recipe, or do something that will put your mind in a better place.

Write and burn a letter to your father

There might be tons of angry thoughts festering in your mind right now that are directed at your father.

Whether he abandoned you and hasn’t been a big part of your life, or he’s just been a total douchebag, you have every right to feel the way you’re feeling.

Write everything down in the form of a letter. Instead of sending it to your father, safely set it on fire as a way of releasing all of that negative energy.

Celebrate the father figures in your life

Your biological dad might not be someone worth celebrating, but that doesn’t mean you’ve never crossed paths with other father figures who’ve been there for you along the way in your life.

If you’ve been lucky enough to spend time with a trusted person who resembles a father figure, do something nice to celebrate them and the way they’ve honored your life.

Enjoy Mother’s Day Part 2

If your mother was there for you while your father wasn’t, there’s no harm in celebrating her twice within the year.

Think about enjoying Mother’s Day Part 2! Treat your mom to a brunch date, buy her lovely a bouquet of flowers, or simply spend some quality time with her.

If she’s the parent who showed up for you all your life by playing both roles of “mother” and “father,” then she deserves that recognition twice.