As if Valentine’s day isn’t enough when it comes to love, Christmas is also a very romance-centered holiday. During those cold wintery nights at home, it’s hard not to yearn for a special someone to cuddle with while decorating the tree and watching a cheesy Hallmark film together.
Regardless of whether it’s due to financial means or just life circumstances, if you don’t have that special someone or even close family and friends to celebrate the holidays with, here are some things you can do that will allow you to enjoy this break from work or school without experiencing FOMO and completely dreading the time off.
1. avoid social Media
Seeing friends on Instagram travelling during the holidays, having large gatherings with loved ones or taking pictures under the heart sign in the Toronto Distillery District is hard to watch without envy. Comparison is the thief of joy, as they say, and social media will heighten this joyless feeling during the winter season.
Mute your friends’ stories and posts for a bit, or even consider deleting Instagram, Tiktok and BeReal for the time being. Make it a challenge to stay off these apps that feed into this envious comparison for the entirety of your Christmas holiday. It will help a lot in focusing on your own holiday celebrations.
2. avoid rom-com christmas movies
The Holiday, Serendipity and Love Actually are great films, but they can make it hard to enjoy being happily single during the Christmas season. And, if it isn’t mentioned enough, it gives a really bad depiction of how to swoon someone and get their attention, (like the doorstep scene with Kiera Knightley and Andrew Lincoln’s characters in Love Actually).
So instead, opt for something lighthearted and romance free (for the most part) like Home Alone, Fred Claus, or even something like Die Hard, which is Christmas themed without centering Christmas as the plot.
3. try a new recipe
Much like during the peak of the pandemic in 2020, baking and cooking are a popular pastime to cope with social isolation. Using your hands to create something delicious is an amazing way to pass the time by yourself.
When we are at work or in classes, it’s hard to be creative with our meals; thus, the holidays are a good time to experiment with new recipes you can possibly add to your meal prep for the work week in the new year.
4. volunteer
Christmas is all about giving back to others and doing good deeds, and there’s no better way to make it on Santa’s nice list than by helping those less privileged enjoy the Christmas season. Food banks and soup kitchens are always looking for extra hands to help cook and distribute food to the community.
Other options for volunteering include women’s shelters and even animal shelters. Doing good deeds are guaranteed to fill our hearts with joy and a reminder to ourselves that there is a lot to feel grateful for.
5. prep for the new year
Lastly, if engaging in Christmas festivities isn’t your thing, then use this time off to prepare for the new year. Get back into the routine of good habits, set realistic new year’s resolutions and have a head start on accomplishing some of them before January starts.