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| | | | I'd spent every holiday with my family until 2020. Then I moved 100+ miles away from home days before the COVID-19 pandemic –– and the social distancing protocols –– rocked our world. Since then, I've spent most major holidays sitting in my apartment by myself, feeling serious FOMO as I watched everyone else celebrate with loved ones on social media. | | That is, until I learned to make the most of it! | | Today, I'm going to share with you how I've turned lonely holidays into solo celebrations. But first, here are some stories I think you might like: | | | | Be well,
Morgan Mandriota
Newsletter Editor, Healthline | | | | |
| |  | | Written by Morgan Mandriota
December 18, 2023 • 3 min read | | | | | | | |
| |  | | | I never thought I'd actually enjoy spending holidays alone … | | My first solo holiday was Easter 2020. I FaceTimed my parents as they made our traditional Italian struffoli and I grieved this change in decades-old routine. Days later, they mailed me some treats with a handwritten letter saying how much they missed me. Cue the heartbreak. | | Future holidays were just as lonely but carried fewer feelings of regret, sadness, and isolation as time went on. Honestly, I think the worst part was scrolling through Instagram and seeing everyone partying with their families, kissing partners under mistletoe, and filling my feed with cute photos I wanted to report simply out of spite. | | Then I turned things around, aka stopped being a mope and started celebrating in my own ways. While I prefer to be with my loved ones, it turns out solo holidays can be pretty great! And they definitely don't have to be so sad. The magic lies in doing whatever you want that brings you joy. |  | | Here's a short list of what I like most: | - Not sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours on end
- Focusing on self-care by taking a hot shower, gaming, and journaling
- Wandering around the empty streets of my typically touristy town
- Baking cookies and eating them all by myself
- Watching movies in comfy clothes under a million blankets
- Blasting music while putting up the tree
- Picking up seasonal desserts from local farms
- Decorating my apartment with stockings for me and my cat
- Coordinating future gatherings with friends or family
- Sleeping in without worrying about having anywhere to go
- Buying myself gifts because I deserve them!
| Need more ideas? If you'll be riding solo this year, there are plenty of ways to celebrate and stay connected. In addition to what I listed above, you can also consider: | - Volunteering somewhere
- Baking treats and sharing them with your neighbors
- Making a fancy dinner (with a mocktail or two)
- Hosting a Zoom event with your loved ones
- Adopting or fostering a pet (so you'll never be alone!)
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| | | | Aromatherapy, anyone? | | | | | | |  | | Nature's Truth Lavender Essential Oil | | Lavender is my favorite scent, and it has pretty awesome health benefits, too. It can relieve anxiety and boost skin health … or just make your home smell nice. You could add this essential oil to a bath, use it with a carrier oil during a massage, or burn it in a diffuser. I diffuse lavender oil in my bedroom all the time, and it's so soothing, especially right before I fall asleep. | | | | Every product we recommend has gone through either Healthline's or Optum Store's vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Store are owned by RVO Health. | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| | | | Thanks for reading! How are you spending the holiday season this year? Any big events or activities you're looking forward to? Share your plans with us at wellnesswire@healthline.com.
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