Single Gal Holiday Survival Tips
Slightly dreading the Holidays?
A box of Kleenex. Puffy eyes. That large bag of chips that we swore we were only going to eat 1/3 of. Are we really happy crying over the ending of that predictable Christmas movie or are we actually a little sad to be single for the holidays?
As a teen, I envisioned my holidays as an adult. Married to my current crush, lots of cuddling, hot chocolate and memory making.
After college, my holidays still looked a lot like when I was teen. Still imagining and fantasizing about my real adult life. Technically, that didn’t start until I got a solid job right??
I finally got the solid job and it seemed that my childhood fantasies of the perfect holiday season were in the near future. Except that they weren’t. Holiday after holiday passed and I found myself in the wretched loop of surviving as a single gal during the holidays.
The anxiety used to start for me right after Halloween. I knew that Thanksgiving was just a few weeks away and my wheels would start spinning wondering how I was going to have the perfect fantasy life by the fourth Thursday of November.
Most wonderful time of the year?
The holiday season is truly the most wonderful time of year…if you are surrounded by loving family and friends, have unlimited cash flow to buy perfect gifts for everyone and unlimited vacation time to visit all your closest friends and family.
But let’s face it, most people are just trying to get through the holiday season. It’s hard to admit that the most wonderful time of year for many is the worst time of the year for a lot of us. It can especially be true for the single ladies. Holidays focus on families and whether you are widowed, divorced or just plain single, this time of year can be a painful reminder of your marital status.
Fake Smiles and Netflix Binges
I consider myself a veteran of being single during the holidays, after all I am flirting with 40 and have lived on my own for my most of my adult life. No amount of “love yourself, do you, follow your dreams, etc” mantras can shield us from the hustle, bustle and let’s face it, loneliness of the holidays.
So how do we thrive through the holiday season instead of surviving through fake smiles, busy schedules, dry bank accounts and living vicariously through Hallmark movies? Well, first we have to admit that we need to make some changes in order to make it the most wonderful time of the year for us. If you already feel like you have amazing holiday seasons as a single lady, you can stop reading now and say a quick prayer those of us who have already binged several Netflix Christmas movies.
Seven Survival Tips For Singles
1. Take the lead.
Instead of waiting on invitations to Christmas parties, dinners and mixers, plan your own. If you wait, you may be waiting for a while. Do this soon because people’s holiday calendars fill up pretty quickly between work Christmas parties, church functions and family activities.
2. Limit your Netfilx intake.
The easiest thing to do when everyone else seems too busy and happily living the life of their dreams is to binge Netflix. Think of all the memories you could be making in that 3+ hours you spend bingeing the first season of whatever the trending show is. According to statista.com, almost 40% of women binge up to 3 hours of Nextflix at a time. Yikes.
3. Deepen a friendship.
You are not the only person who is lonely or single during the holidays. Take this as on opportunity to reach out to that person that you connect with and make a few plans to get through the season together.
4. Make a Christmas list and stick to it.
There are tons of people that you will begin to feel obligated to buy a gift for. But if you are living on one income, buying obligatory gifts can destroy your budget. Make your list of the main people that you want to buy gifts for, set a realistic budget and stick to it. Set one day or weekend for buying for those gifts and don't buy any more gifts after that.
5. Serve.
Ok, I know that Christians are always telling single people to serve but I want you to be selective about service opportunities. Don’t just sign up for every volunteer event. People may expect you to because they assume you have more time, but the truth is, you have the same 24 hours a day that others have. You get to choose how to spend that time and finding just one or two worthy service projects this Christmas will warm your heart and not leave you overwhelmed.
6. Go on a fun date.
Maybe you have already downloaded Bumble or Tinder and it is sucking the life out of you, but hear me out. Most people will meet up for coffee for a first date and honestly that can either be really good or super awkward. Go ahead and write a list of 5 holiday date ideas that you would really enjoy. Next time your match wants to meet up in real life, send them one of your date ideas. Even if the chemistry isn’t there, you got a fun date off of your bucket list 😊.
7. Travel!!
Being single is one of the prime times in your life to travel. You can go exactly where you want to go and do exactly what you want to do. Christmas in the smokies? Go for it! New Years Eve on a cruise boat, why not? Even if you just decide to take a short road trip with a friend or do a solo trip to rest and rejuvenate, a special holiday trip is sure to create some polaroid worthy memories.
Have I convinced you to try at least one of these? The holiday season is long but it is also too short to waste by not actually enjoying it on your terms. Despite the pressure to have a perfect relationship and life for the holidays, make the most of it by being intentional about how you want to experience this season, make new friends, travel, go on exciting dates, ditch the obligatory gifts and take the lead for your holiday season.
For a few laughs and a more detailed look at how I'm navigating my single season GRAB A COPY OF MY EBOOK CONFESSIONS
