Close Ad

How to Survive the Holiday Season If You're Alone
Woman sitting alone
Family

How to Survive the Holiday Season If You're Alone

I grew up loving Christmas. The holidays are the single greatest time of the entire year in my eyes and always will be.

But when I met my wife, my perspective on Christmas changed. She grew up with some pretty horrible Christmas memories that make her hate the holidays and everything about them.


It made me rethink what makes the holidays a special time and what can lead the holidays to become a trigger for loneliness and pain.

It’s people. It’s always the people in our life (whether they’re still around or not).

If you have a loving group of people, anyone even, the holidays can be really great. But if you have to spend the holidays alone, or you have in the past and it now triggers some depressing or sour memories, it can be really difficult to get through.

But whether you may have to spend the holidays alone due to your personal situation, geography, work, a recent loss, physical health, or something else, there are things you can do to navigate that loneliness and make the most of the holidays.

Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.

– Henry Rollins

Here’s how to navigate the holiday season if you’re alone.

Stay connected in any way you can.

Person-sitting-alone-in-a-cafe

We’re social creatures, so however you can connect and whoever you have to connect with, make the most of it.

The more connection you have over the holidays, whether stranger or loved one, the better your spirits will be.

Even if it’s long-distance via calls, FaceTime, or just staying connected with one another on social, that will keep you from feeling entirely alone, so it’s a whole lot better than nothing.

Another option is connecting with perfect strangers at your local food bank volunteering, church for the holidays if you don’t often visit, or giving your time in some other way that allows you to connect with and help others.

The holidays are a time where people are in much better spirits and more receptive in general, so it’s an opportune moment to get out there and connect with new people.

Make the holidays something new.

For many of us, what makes the holidays such a lonely and difficult time are the memories. The past is literally reaching forward to haunt us each year for as long as we’ll let it.

But just in the way that those old memories can cause you to feel alone and even depressed, you can create new memories that change the very meaning of the holidays for you.

My wife still mostly dislikes Christmas, but over the past several years she’s realized she has a love for Christmas decorating. Ironically, for decorating in some unique way --not traditional white/red/green -- such as a frosty blue or pearly white holiday theme. This is something that we all enjoy together each year and has become a part of our own new tradition.

Call it her way of rebelling against Christmas, but when our local Michael’s craft store starts their holiday decoration sale, she’s all over it.

Change the scenery.

Man-traveling-alone

Sometimes, it’s the setting which triggers the emotions. If that’s the case, it will be very difficult to drive around town and not conjure up difficult memories throughout the holidays.

To counter this, make a more significant change for the holidays and travel for a week or longer. If you can’t afford to fly somewhere, take a road trip.

If you’re in the U.S., the Amtrak train circuit runs throughout most of the country and is priced affordably for most.

You can take a comfortable trip through the beautiful countryside, stay somewhere for a few days, then take the train home an entirely different route (or the same) and end up coming away with what could be a life-changing trip instead of a difficult holiday.

Hot Stories

Why Paul Walker Left His Only Daughter With Vin Diesel

Vin Diesel & Paul Walker were more than just friends, they were …

content.jwplatform.com

When the tragic news of Paul Walker's death surfaced, the world was left in shock. As one of the most beloved stars of the Fast and Furious franchise, his passing was felt deeply by fans around the globe. But perhaps the most devastating impact was felt by his daughter, Meadow Walker, who was left without a father.

Keep ReadingShow less
Life Stories
single mom struggling to pay off student loans reacts after a bank wipes out all her debt
ABC News

We've all heard it: if you work hard and go to school, you will get a good-paying job and be able to afford decent things in life. In reality, many people invest in continuing education and are then stuck paying off student loans for a large chunk of their lives.

That’s what happened to Jasmin Ford, a nurse in Chicago. She was dealing with a large debt and struggling to pay it off by working two jobs. Then, something incredible happened to her – the debt vanished. Here's how it all went down.

Keep ReadingShow less
Uplifting News
Dr Dre points up at text that says 25 rapper quotes to motivate you
Goalcast

The genres of rap and hip hop have been demonized by their association with gang violence and have often been represented by questionable characters. But we can’t overlook the fact that there are a lot of rappers out there who inspire and motivate us every day with their powerful lyrics and hypnotizing beats.

Just like any other form of art, rap is a representation of the artist’s personal experiences and emotions. A representation of what living in a rough environment really means and an expression of the grit that a tough life demands. They speak from life experience.

Keep ReadingShow less
Musicians