Alone this Christmas?

It’s never easy to be alone during the Christmas season.  Your colleagues at the office will be talking about going on family trips, there will be decorations everywhere on the streets, and everyone you know is busy shopping for presents.  Then when you get home and switch on the television, there’s good old Santa telling you “tis the season to be jolly” except you have no reason to be jolly.

Or do you?

Here are 10 simple ways you can dispel the gloom and get into the Christmas spirit.

1. Be thankful – Are you reasonably healthy? Have clothes to wear and shoes for your feet and a bed to sleep in? Well then, you’re one of the lucky ones in the world.  Just being thankful for your blessings will light that little fire inside of you and put a spring in your step.  What’s more, it will force you to get out there and help someone in need and seeing the smile on that persons face can dispel all your gloom.
2. Bake a cake – Never underestimate the power of the aroma that comes from a freshly baked cake. It brings to mind all those childhood memories spent around the table with your loved ones.  Once you get into the baking mood, you never know how many Christmas goodies you’ll end up making.
3. Share the goodies – For obvious reasons, don’t eat everything yourself. Decorate a plate of your home baked stuff and knock on a neighbor’s door with your smile firmly in place. For all you know, you might get invited to a pool party.
4. Make that phone call – Call up all your family and friends and wish them the joys of the festive season. Message the one’s you can’t call, yes even those you have not kept in touch with for ages.  The love will come back around and cheer you up no end.
5. Plan something with a friend – Most of us don’t always have our family with us at Christmas, but there could be a friend or colleague whom you wouldn’t mind spending Christmas with. Ask about their plans for Christmas at least a couple of weeks earlier.  Maybe you can all jam up together for carol singing, drinks and dinner.  At all cost, avoid being alone at home on Christmas day.
6. Listen to Christmas Carols – Start doing this at least from the 1^st week of December. Nothing uplifts your mood more than listening to music.  Download carols sung by your favorite singers, it just makes listening to them all the more pleasurable. Whether at home or in the car, you can take it a notch higher by singing along loudly.
7. Decorate your space – If you don’t feel like putting up a big Christmas tree, get a small table top one. Hang some twinkling lights around the house and light some Christmas candles.  A Christmas wreath on your door will do wonders and cheer you up when you return from work.
8. Give yourself a gift – You deserve it don’t you think? It does not have to be something expensive – a scarf, a jacket, a pair of shoes or a Christmas decoration.  The aim is to feel a sense of satisfaction that you got something you wanted.
9. Remember a man’s best friend? – Of course, the greatest friend to combat loneliness is a pet, who’s loyal, loving and always ready to be by your side.  If you’re unable to get a pet, spend some time at an animal shelter.  There’s nothing like furry bodies and wagging tails to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
10. Don’t forget what Christmas is all about – Yes, it’s about the birth of Christ, an event in history that changed the world. The more you think about this, the more joy you will experience.  Use this joy to pray for yourself and for all your loved one’s whom you miss this Christmas season.

When you do all this and more, you will carry the Christmas spirit into the New Year, which means your new year will begin on a happy note.  If you have managed to be happy at Christmas, chances are, you’re all ready to have a great New Year.

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