How To Spend Thanksgiving Alone & Actually Enjoy Yourself
So it looks like you are spending thanksgiving alone.
If it's your first time alone after a big life change, the thought can be daunting.
Whether you’ve just moved, left a relationship, or made a major decision about family, holidays are marketed as family-oriented. When the external doesn’t look like the norm, it’s scary.
Thoughts can swirl in your mind around loneliness, your worth, and maybe even bring up some triggers around experiences you’ve had.
Just because you're alone doesn't mean you have to be bored or stay sad all day. Yes, acknowledge your emotions, but remember that you still deserve beautiful experiences even if no one is around. Just because there’s no one else to share things with doesn’t mean you can’t make memories.
Let's explore three ways to actually enjoy your day instead of sitting around wasting the day.
Watch a movie. Don't just have it in the background while you scroll and look at everyone else's life. Put your phone across the room (and on airplane mode), get engaged in the plot line, and sink into the moment. 1-2 hours of interrupted time in a fun movie helps set or end your day light-heartedly. My favorite movie to start on Thanksgiving is A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with some cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa or hot cider. I wake up at 4-5 AM for this!
2. Take the time to get dressed and pamper yourself. You don't have to go all out, but there’s something about taking the time to pour into yourself that sets the day up for great energy. Even if it’s a new pair of lounge pants or an oversized knit sweater, put something on that makes you feel special. Try out a new makeup look. You can even spend the morning in the bubble bath (yes, men, it can be a secret that you do as well), with a good book and indulge.
3. Get out of the house. I’m not saying you need to go to an event that’s going to have you surrounded by families that remind you of how alone you are, but perhaps go stroll around downtown and look at window displays, go to a pretty park and get some fresh air, make a point to have a fire outside at a public picnic area. Don’t sit in the dark house all day contemplating your existence. People watching can count as interactions! You'll also be surprised how many other people are in the same boat as you!
4. Cook for yourself. One benefit of doing Thanksgiving solo is you don’t have to stress about the perfect meal or dinner. When you cook for yourself, the stakes are low. Cook in the ways that YOU enjoy. Make yourself the traditional meal, but on a micro level, or try a new recipe you’ve always wanted to try on Thanksgiving but never could. This gets to be YOUR day. And remember, if you’re trying a new recipe, make sure you get yourself a backup so that if it doesn’t turn out the way you want it, you still have your favorites on standby.
5. Decorate. Have a candle-lit meal, set the ambience, make your home look pretty. Do it for you.
6. Let’s say you don’t want to be home for the holidays by yourself; I highly recommend booking a solo trip to a cabin with a fireplace, hot tub, and a beautiful area (even if small) that you can have rituals in. You can take everything I suggested to a cabin for maximum experience.
The most important thing to remember is that yes, you are alone, and it’s okay to feel sad, but when you provide yourself with healthy distractions, you get to remember that magic is still in the air, even if it’s just for you.
Don’t let this year go by with no effort. Face your circumstances, acknowledge your emotions, but let your actions carry you somewhere productive, empowering,, and magical.
Get to planning a beautiful Thanksgiving for yourself!
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