Alone on New Year’s Eve? No Problem.

Alone on New Year’s Eve? No Problem. New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, and for many, that means a time to be surrounded by people, and maybe even get a kiss at midnight! On the other hand, for people who are single, the loneliness can set in if we aren’t careful to manage our expectations for the holiday. But with a little planning, New Year’s Eve can be a time to become your better self. So here are 5 ways to start the New Year off right: 

1. Unplug. Often when we’re alone, the tendency is to escape into the online world of social media, endless internet surfing, or worse – pornography. The desire to connect to others in this way only leads to more feelings of isolation. Though it may seem counterintuitive, try “unplugging” from the internet and choose other ways to spend the New Year’s holiday, like baking, reading, or exercise. 
2. Treat Yourself. In our increasingly interactive culture, we often lose the art of enjoying our own company. It may sound odd, but New Year’s Eve is a great day to focus on the things that make you happy. One idea is to make it a Spa Day. Most spas are open during the day on Dec 31, so make an appointment for pampering! If the spa is not your vibe, go out for your favorite meal, see a movie in a theater, or people-watch at your favorite restaurant or shopping area. Do not worry about the other people around you – do the things you enjoy! (Just remember to stay safe – if you go out on your own, be careful not to put yourself in dangerous situations, and make sure someone knows where you are and when you’re expected back home.) 
3. It’s OK to Cry Sometimes…and Pray. Emotions can run high during the holidays, so it is very important to connect with those emotions, and it’s OK to let them “out” in healthy ways. Keeping your feelings of sadness bottled up can lead to bigger mental health issues. Cry it all out, and start the New Year fresh and clean emotionally. If you are a person of faith, or even a skeptic but curious about God, it can be very healing to turn those powerful emotions into prayer. In the Bible, there’s a verse that says, “Cast your cares on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) For more tips on beating the holiday blues in general, read this post. 
4. Reach Out To Someone. During New Year’s celebrations, we tend to feel we’re the only one who doesn’t “have someone,” but it just isn’t true. Realizing that there are others in the same boat can be a turning point in how we evaluate our situation. In our focus on our own feelings, we forget that there are others we can support and spend time with. So reach out to somebody that maybe you haven’t talked to in a while. It will not only bless someone else, but it will boost your spirits as well. 
5. DON’T “Hook Up” for the Sake of Not Being Alone. The most important thing is to avoid the temptation to hook up with someone just to overcome the temporary feeling of loneliness. Many people feel a certain desperation around the holidays and end up saying “yes” to a hook up, only to quickly regret it when the encounter does not bring the contentment that was expected. 

The real key is to find happiness with yourself and find love within you, but if we never learn to accept our singleness and accept ourselves when we are at our most vulnerable, then how are we to give happiness and love to someone else in a healthy relationship? 

We end up with regrets not just because we said “yes” to the first person that we found, but because we never found a way to be content with ourselves. Start the New Year happy in your own company to make sure that others can enjoy your company as well. 

AbbaCare is a pregnancy resource center serving Winchester Virginia, Martinsburg West Virginia, and the Northern Shenandoah Valley. If you or someone you know is facing an unplanned pregnancy, is considering abortion or other pregnancy options, or is in need of post-abortive care or counseling, please let us know by calling 540.665.9660 (Winchester) or 304.726.6582 (Martinsburg) or sending us a message.