The holiday season is different this year, and that’s no secret. Many people are finding themselves in situations where they cannot go home for the holidays to visit family or friends, or they may have lost loved ones this year. No matter your situation, it’s normal to feel as though you don’t know what to do if you’re spending your holidays alone this year. Here are some ideas to keep the holiday season special. 

Acknowledge How You Feel

It’s normal to have unfamiliar feelings about this holiday season, especially if you’re spending it alone. You might feel sad or frustrated, or you may feel relieved that you don’t have to make small talk with people you don’t enjoy. All of these feelings are valid, but understand that the first step towards a happy holiday season by yourself is accepting these feelings. To process how you’re feeling, you might try journaling or talking it out with a loved one. However, if you feel like your emotions surrounding this holiday season are starting to hinder your ability to function normally, you may want to speak with a counselor. For more information about whether or not it’s time for you to look into counseling, check out this Safe Harbor IM article, and for information about family conflict resolution, check out this article. 

Keep Up With Your Traditions

Does your family cook something special for the holidays, or wear Christmas pajamas on Christmas eve? Do you have a New Year’s tradition that you normally do with your friends? If so, try to replicate it in your plans for the holidays this year. While this holiday season is going to be different than normal, many people may feel as though making their holidays feel as normal as possible this year may make them feel better. If this is the case for you, think about all of the traditions you’ve done over the past few years and see if you can replicate your favorites!

Create Your Own Traditions

All traditions had to start somewhere, right? This year is the perfect year for creating new traditions. Have you always wanted to decorate your house with lights, or send out Christmas cards? Now is the time. Creating your own traditions and doing things you enjoy this holiday season will only bring you more joy, so try some new recipes, or buy a holiday sweater for your pet- whatever floats your boat. Creating a fun new tradition is one of the most beautiful things you can do to add joy to your life during this difficult holiday season.

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Decorate for the Holidays

One way to bring joy into your everyday life, even when you’re alone, is to decorate for the holidays. Your budget might be tight this year, but if you can, a little bit of decorating goes a long way. Just because you’re home alone doesn’t mean you can’t get excited about the holidays, and decorating your home, even if it’s just a little bit, can really help! Decorating your home or your apartment just for you might feel silly, but remember that you are just as worthy of a holiday celebration as your loved ones!

Connect With Others… or Don’t

For some people, it may help to connect with others during the holidays. Holding family or friend zoom sessions with lots of people may be something that really appeals to you this season, and seems as though it’s better than not seeing any family members at all. Calling your loved one, or all making the same holiday recipe might make you feel as though you’re closer to the ones you love this year. However, if you would rather binge-watch holiday movies on the couch than participate in an awkward or uncomfortable conversation with your extended family, that’s okay too! This year is the year to do that. Whatever makes you feel best is what you need to go for, whether that’s participating in virtual activities, or enjoying your alone time.

Spread Love

If you have the time and the resources, consider spreading some love this holiday season. There are many safe ways to do this, such as sending cards or gifts to your loved ones, or volunteering at an organization in your town that needs an extra set of hands this holiday season. Keep in mind that volunteer work will likely bring you in contact with others, and there may be more safety precautions this season due to COVID-19. If you don’t feel comfortable in that kind of situation, consider giving blood, or making a donation to a food bank. Every little bit helps, and spreading the love is really what this season is all about anyway. 

Conclusion

It’s easy to forget why many of us are spending the holidays alone this year. Remember that by choosing to spend the holidays alone this year, you’re keeping your family and loved ones safe. The holidays this season may look different, but don’t forget that the most important thing right now is to stay safe, even if that means being by yourself. For more information on celebrating holidays without family, check out this Safe Harbor IM article. While your holidays might look different this year, Safe Harbor challenges you to find safe ways to celebrate and to create new traditions. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Written by Jackie Ebel, blogger at Safe Harbor International Ministries. For more articles, visit our blog page at https://safeharborim.com/articles/.