Christmas is all around us — cue Love Actually — and with it comes the pressure to be jolly. It’s hard to disassociate from the festival, what with all the glittering trees and pretty lights thrown in your face, but if you’re forced to spend it alone, the constant reminders of the “what it should be like” can be downright upsetting. The Holiday Season is meant to be celebrated with family, unwrapping carefully wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree and bringing in the New Year with hugs, champagne and JLO’s Waiting for Tonight. However, if logistics or finances have come in the way of you flying home for this extended break, it’s time to come up with a Plan B. After all, the excitement in the air is palpable, the bars are maxing out on their festive menus and celebrating solo doesn’t have to be lonesome. Here’s how.
Spending Christmas and New Year alone? Here are 7 ways to fight loneliness during the Holiday Season
1. Virtual parties
We live in the golden age of technology that is advancing by the second. Today, we can speak a command into a smartphone, and it will automatically FaceTime your favourite contact. Virtual communication has truly allowed to legitimise the phrase ‘there in spirit’, so even if you aren’t physically present at your family Christmas party, you can just be on the screen and partaking in every moment (with a bottle of red) on your end.
2. Solo travel
If staying home alone during the Holiday Season is proving too much of a challenge, then pack your bags and take off somewhere close by — a week-long hiking excursion or a three-day visit to a nearby beach. A new environment always carries its fair share of adventure, so keep an open mind and get ready to dive-in!
3. Host a potluck
You’re far from being the only isolated soul spending holidays away from family. So gather the troops and host an intimate gathering — a potluck perhaps, where you can ask your guests to bring their favourite Christmas-special dishes and share little tidbits of festivals past, so everyone gets to feel a sense of home.
4. Follow the crowds
There’s always a party somewhere. Even if you don’t have an invite to a Christmas or New Year party this year, you can sign up for volunteer work or go for specially curated walking tours where you’ll meet kindred spirits and still be able to celebrate the holiday… albeit in a different way.
5. Quality me-time
Indulgence, thy name is… the Christmas and New Year week. It’s the season to forgo the calorie count and make carbs your makeshift BFF (after all, is it even a holiday if you aren't biting into an extra-cheesy slice of pizza?). So pop open a bottle of bubbly, stream your favourite Holiday Classic and order-in some gastronomical delight because it’s been a hard year, and you deserve it. And since we’re speaking of quality me-time… go all out! We’re talking face-masks, fuzzy robes and the whole works.
6. Set goals for the year ahead
We’re not about joining the gym or turning Dry January into a year-long thing. Instead, why not spend the holidays thinking of the ways (and areas) in which you wish to grow? If it’s to pick up an instrument, narrow down on one and enroll in classes. If it’s to browse through the best online courses to upskill (that can help you branch out and seek better professional opportunities), dedicate your time to understanding which stream would help you the most. Or even if it’s something as simple as reading more, make a practical goal of tearing through a book a month in the new year.
7. Make a gratitude list
You can throw yourself a little pity-party for having to spend the holidays alone… but you’re certainly not allowed to dwell in the negatives. Have a good cry if it helps release the emotion, but then guide yourself into thinking of all your big wins and milestone moments from the year, the people who’ve stood by you through it all — and thank them. Ending the year with gratitude will help you walk into 2025 with recharged energy.
Original article appeared on GQ India
