It’s Christmas day. People have been preparing for months and you’ve happily ignored all the excitement and stress, knowing that none of it applied to you. What do you do when, by choice or chance, you are one of the millions of people around the world spending Christmas day alone?

Spending Christmas Day Alone is a Challenge… and an Opportunity

It’s natural to feel a mix of emotions around the holidays. But, even if you are by yourself, you can still enjoy every minute! With no presents stacked under a non-existent Christmas tree, no schedule for preparing an elaborate meal and no screaming children, you are free! You can be just a little selfish and experience a celebration of your independent self.

Here are some ideas for enjoying the experience:

Stay In Your Pajamas All Day

One option, especially if is cold and snowy outside, is to just stay indoors in some new sexy (or comfy) pajamas and have a marathon movie day. Make a list of your favorite heart-warming films and enjoy watching them, one after another.

Or choose a TV series that you’ve been longing to watch from beginning to end. “Grace and Frankie”, “Breaking Bad”, “Homeland” or “The Crown” – there are so many choices. Personally I love the TV series “Sherlock Holmes”, but you may want to choose a comedy series or a foreign film with subtitles to practice your new language skills.

If you are not a movie person, you can always find a book or two and snuggle up in a warm corner and read away. Perhaps you can listen to a book from Audible.com so that you have hands free to eat the orange spice cookies you’ve made for yourself. And, don’t forget to enjoy a homemade face mask while you read.

Add a little pampering – paint your nails blue, have a bath with glitter oil. Enjoy a box (yes a box) of sumptuous chocolate, a drink like homemade mulled wine. Try a little Gentle Yoga in between shows or chapters so that you get a little bit of exercise. Voila! You have the perfect solo but definitely not so low day!

Release Your Inner Creative Genius

With time to think and breathe, Christmas alone can be a day to express your passion for cooking, crafts, knitting and painting. You name it. There are so many ways to express yourself! Make paper snowflakes. Try a new recipe. Make a green smoothie. Whatever you do, try something completely different!

While things are cooking in the oven, take out your pen and paper and write some handwritten notes to distant friends and relatives that you love. In this age of electronic communication there is absolutely nothing as wonderful as receiving a handwritten note in the mail. It will be a welcome gift to counter all the bills they are going to receive in the New Year!

Get Outside and Surprise Yourself

If you are feeling energetic and are prepared to walk a bit (there are very few buses and trains working on Christmas day) open a map of your town, close your eyes, and point to a place on the map.  Walk there, and see what you find.

On Christmas day, when I lived in London, I would often walk a few miles to Oxford Street to just experience the stillness and beauty of a place usually packed with shoppers. The shop windows are all decorated and there is something magical about experiencing the city streets in silence.

If you don’t want to be by yourself, volunteer at a shelter or a soup kitchen on Christmas day and help spread the festive cheer. Walk at dusk and see all the lovely lights that people have put on their homes and smile knowing you don’t have to take them all down in a few days. Take your camera and record what you see.

Go ahead and remember a Christmas from the past – but laugh at the positives and don’t dwell on any sad times.

Are you celebrating Christmas by yourself? What are you planning to do? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are spending Christmas day alone, I recorded this message for you.