12 Creative Ways to Spend the Holidays Alone

The holiday season is just around the corner and you’re still single. Don’t worry— it’s not the end of the world.

Holidays alone are not as bad as you think. Not only will you survive it, but you might even find that flying solo could be a liberating experience.

But if you are newly single, or simply far away from loved ones, the idea of being alone for the first time in the holidays is understandably nerve-wracking.

Here are 15 ways on how you can survive being alone during the best season of the year.

1. Enjoy The Great Outdoors

Studies have shown that being alone with nature is a healing experience. Go on a solo trip to the nearest national park and convene with the mountains, the canyons, the wide-open sky, the glaciers, and the dense forests.

Exposure to nature melts away the hard resins of your soul. Science proves that breathtaking scenery can benefit you physically, mentally, and emotionally. You can either go on a hike or join guided tours.

2. Travel Overseas

If you have the budget, travel to a foreign country. Sure, you may have family in faraway places that you can go to. But if that is impossible for reasons only you would know, go to a foreign place.

Immersing yourself in a foreign culture can be fun, educational, and liberating. There are even singles group tours that you can join if you are adamant to meet someone— or simply be surrounded by people.

3. Do Good Deeds

Instead of focusing on yourself and your aloneness, shift your attention to those in need. You can volunteer at a soup kitchen, do something for kids with cancer, or seek out an organization that is hosting a humanitarian project during the holidays.

Giving and helping will envelop you with happiness. Scientists prove that altruistic behavior releases dopamine. Your good deeds will not only benefit those in need but are guaranteed to give you more joy than you can imagine.

5. Pamper Yourself And Sleep

Come to think of it, the holidays are overhyped. Look at the season as something businesses use to boost brand awareness and increase sales. Sure, families and sweethearts get together this time of the year— but they also do so on birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions.

Love yourself the most this time of the year. Spend the holidays by sleeping in late. Spoil and pamper yourself. Pick up that book you’ve been longing to finish. Watch that arthouse film that you have always been curious to see. Treat the holidays as your ultimate “me time.”

6. Host A Singles Party

If you really, really want to be surrounded by people during the holidays, then throw the best singles party ever. Not only will you get happily distracted during the planning stage, but you are also doing other singles a favor.

Plan a party or a simple get-together with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances that don’t have any holiday plans. They’ll thank you for coming up with a shindig.

7. Do Some Holiday Cleaning And Makeover

When everybody else is decorating their homes with lights, wreaths, garlands, or whatnot, you are revamping your apartment. This is the best time to clean your space and do some rearranging of the furniture and decorating.

Mental health and cleaning are connected. It can reduce stress, anxiety, depression— and even make you happy. It would be much better if you plan ahead and buy stuff for a house makeover. If the house is too big, you can focus on redecorating just your bedroom. Get some new wallpapers, new light or window fixtures, or give your walls a fresh paint.

8. Check On Your Elderly Neighbor

Perhaps you have a neighbor who is old and alone. Why not knock on their door and ask if they’d like to spend the holidays with you?

If they refuse, do not take it personally. Some folks prefer solitude, and it’s got nothing to do with you. If they say yes, then bring in food and drinks, and even presents. Get to know your neighbor and make the day special for them. 

9.  Zoom With Friends Or Loved Ones

Don’t hesitate to video-call the people you miss and want to talk to— even just to say hi and wish them a joyful holiday. It’s okay to let them know how much you mean to them and make them feel that you long for your company this time of the year.

You’d be surprised how they’d be happy to hear from you, talk to you, and make you feel that they care about you—- even when you are miles apart.

10. Binge-watch

Before the holiday season, you’ve been so busy with work that you rarely had the time to even sit down and enjoy a show. Well, this is the best time to binge-watch.

In the advent of streaming platforms, you’re bound to find a series that will hook you to finish all seasons in one sitting. Watching TV is a real escape. Put on your most comfortable clothes, order food from your favorite restaurant, and get entertained for hours.

11. No Holiday Rules

The holiday season does not have to be momentous, super special, or grand. Even those who are spending it with people are not necessarily happy. One can be surrounded by people during the holidays but still feel lonely.

Realize that the holidays are just days. Sure, there is so much festivity going around, but there are absolutely no rules that you must join the bandwagon. The holidays are just dates on a calendar, where people spend a lot of money. You really don’t have to be part of these traditions, do you?

12. Be Thankful

Instead of focusing on what you lack, focus on what you have. Be thankful if you are healthy, with a clean bill of health.

Be thankful that you have a job to return to after the holidays. Be thankful that you have a warm shelter and food to eat. Be thankful that you have this rare time to treat yourself to whatever you want.

You Are Not Alone

Do not wallow in self-pity. A lot of people would rather be solo than attached, and a lot of people prefer to be alone than to be among mere acquaintances or to be in a forced relationship.

Being alone does not equate to loneliness and sadness. Do not view your aloneness as a flaw, or something shameful. That’s just a negative mindset. Millions of other people spend the holidays alone— not just you. It all boils down to seeing it as an advantage rather than a disadvantage.

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