I remember being in middle school and thinking that the worst day of the year was Valentine’s Day because, you guessed it, I never had a Valentine. But, as I’ve gotten older and wiser (or at least like to think I have) I’ve instead determined that being alone for the holidays (starting with Halloween and those cursed couples costumes) triggers far more feelings of loneliness than I ever could have imagined. Cue my days of binge eating Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate ice cream and watching every Rom-Com movie Lifetime has to offer my poor heart.
However, this year, I decided to turn a new leaf and instead of moping around feeling sorry for myself, I grabbed my best friend and together we created a list of ways to survive the holidays if you’re single and ready to mingle.
1. Host a holiday party and shamelessly decorate your space. Having a holiday party where your guests are encouraged to bring their friends/ siblings/ etc. will not only help you branch out and meet new people, but grabbing your best friends and decorating your place and/or baking your favorite Pinterest recipes will definitely ensure you are a hostess with the mostest.
2. Go shopping… for someone else. If you don’t have a significant other, that’s one less gift on your gift list. Instead of spending your money on a brand new Prada bag, consider instead adopting a family or donating a toy to a church group or homeless shelter.
3. Volunteer! Not only will you be able to surround yourself with friendly and grateful faces, you will truly be making a difference in someone else’s life.
4. Be comfortable being alone. Sure, it can get lonely being by yourself during the holidays, but enjoy your alone time as a chance to reflect on the year and spend the holidays doing what YOU want to do to. Soon enough, your desires/wishes/wants will have to come second behind your family’s, so enjoy this time as a chance to decorate your tree the way you want to, bake a crazy dish, or even just read a book by the fire. Besides, you are a strong and independent woman who needs no man.
5. Spend time with your parents and siblings. Pretty soon there will come a time when traveling home becomes too much of a hassle or is too expensive. Use this time when you’re not a girl, not yet a woman to go home and hang out with mom and dad.