Celebrating the Holidays Alone

Introduction

*If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, please read over symptoms on the CDC website, get tested at a location near you, talk to your doctor (over zoom), and stay away from people until you test negative. I am not a medical professional. All of the information in this post is based on my opinion as a germaphobe and supported by medical organizations/professionals (which will be linked throughout the post) even thought most of it is about celebrating the holidays alone, not COVID-19

At this point, you probably know at least one relative who has COVID-19. This is not something to take lightly and should be treated seriously. If you are walking around without a mask knowing that you tested positive or suspect you will, keep in mind that you could be responsible for at least one person’s death. Navigating the holidays this year is going to be a crazy experience no matter what you choose to do, but you should not have a massive family reunion indoors and without masks–especially if someone has tested positive for COVID-19.

How I’m Staying Busy

This whole lock down has been a testament to all the different ways I can keep myself busy. Because I’m the queen of not letting myself get bored, I’ve been exploring grocery stores and going to PT. I am very excited for things to get a little bit safer, but it doesn’t look like that is going to be happening anytime soon. If you’re going a little stir crazy, then I’d like to share with you my guide for Finding Peace in Quarantine and my 20 day Distraction Corner self-care challenge. Both of them are in the free resource library for you get inspiration at any time. However, I’d still like to tell you about what I’ve been doing personally to keep myself from going crazy. While escaping insanity isn’t a celebrating the holidays alone specific thing, it is a big part of it. That’s why I’m sharing a few of my most helpful ideas (and I would know because I’ve been in a lock down/self-quarantine situation for almost nine months).

1. Listening to Audiobooks and Reading

Reading has always been one of my favorite things to do, but now that I’m in a new place with only myself to think about. I can’t just go to a museum with my friends who don’t live near me and pretend like COVID-19 isn’t a thing. So, I read as much as I can. Whenever I’m feeling the chronic fatigue kick in or I start getting a headache from looking at a screen, I take a break to listen to an audiobook or podcast with my eye mask on. My favorite book series that I’ve read recently is called The Lunar Chronicles. My friends told me about in high school, but for some reason I never liked it until now. It is genuinely one of my all time favorite series, now, and I kind of want to be the set!

2. Keeping Your Place Clean

This is one of the hardest things for me to do, but I have to so my allergies don’t act up and so I have dishes to eat with. For some reason, cleaning is one of those things where you’re moving back and forth and up and down so it always makes me feel like I’m about to pass out. It also helps you to stay more focused on things like homework when it’s actually time to do it.

3. Getting Outside

I’m not gonna lie. The weather in Miami is terrible for my POTS. However, escaping your metaphorical jail cell is good for your physical and mental health. Even if you can’t play a sport or go for a run, doing what you can has benefits. I try to walk for at least fifteen minutes at about which time I start feeling like I’m about to pass out or my hips are going to fall out of their sockets. If you need to use a mobility aid, use it with pride. I’m lucky enough to live less than 100 steps from a small nature preserve. So the weather isn’t as bad in the wooded area and the ground is nice and squishy (better for my joints as long as there are no holes to trip in).

4. Cooking/Baking Real Food

In the words of one of my friends, “you need to eat!” I don’t think he could have said it any better. Anyway the worse my health gets, the harder it has become for me to cook. That’s why I try to cook things that will last for more than one meal. If I don’t do that, I’ll eat one of the snack-size popcorn bags for dinner instead and that just makes me feel worse. Not only is this another activity that gets me away from a phone screen, but it’s also something that makes me feel less stressed and less sick when I actually eat real meals.

5. Staying on Top of What Needs to Get Done and When

I know I’m not the only one feeling confused by time and calendars, anymore. That’s why I highly recommend you use a planner, digital or otherwise and your google calendar. One gives you reminders on your phone while the other helps you keep it organized in a visual manner. During the week of the election, I was really stressed and completely forgot about two different assignments until after they were due. My grade went down twenty percentage points and I had to fix an extremely stupid problem. Since then, I’ve tried to be better about keeping track of everything but it’s still really difficult.

Slowing Down & Focusing on the Little Things

I know none of those items in the list above are specifically related to celebrating the holidays alone. Since the holidays are going to be a season filled with lots of extra time this year, I thought I would give you a few ideas. There is one main tip I’d like to share with those of you who aren’t able to visit the family they’d like to. As Thanksgiving and Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanza and all of the other winter holidays are approaching, try to actively step back on how you’re spending your time and reflect on what you’ve done this year and will do next year. Maybe, you feel like you could be more productive if you stopped checking your phone all of the time. Maybe, you think your health would improve if you started making lifestyle changes like meditating and taking your medications everyday. So give a gift yourself and listen to the healthy maybes. Slow down!

For high strung people like me, slowing down can feel impossible. If you reduce the time you spend watching TV and start taking walks outside, you may realize you’re a lot less high strung than you thought you were. One way to start this (even for those of you who are bed bound or don’t have the kind of energy to be making big changes) is to take time after you wake up or right before you sleep to write down three things you are grateful for. I know it sounds cheesy, but it can help you to remember that there are still good things in a world filled with COVID-19 and racism. It’s hard to stay consistent as first, but I promise it gets easier over time and would be especially helpful to anyone whose feeling a little homesick.

Celebrating the Holidays Alone

If you aren’t really sure where to start on the whole slowing down, living in the moment thing. Here’s a simple list to inspire you!

1. Journaling
2. Making daily to-do lists (that are actually possible)
3. Dwelling
4. Creating (painting, DIY-ing, writing, singing, dancing, video making, etc., the options are limited only by your supplies)
5. Exploring a new (safe) grocery store or outdoor park
6. Cooking your favorite food for a meal with on zoom with your friends and family
7. Playing trivia over zoom or other virtual games (I know Catan has one, too)
8. Restarting your relationship with Webkinz or Club Penguin
9. Buying a household necessity you’ve been holding out on (maybe this ones just me but I’ve been really enjoying having a trash can)
10. Making a nice hot cup of tea and deleting some social media

Conclusion

I know celebrating the holidays alone this year still doesn’t sound like much fun. So, use this time to recover, heal, rest, stay safe, and most importantly take care of yourself. COVID-19 isn’t just going to take a break because we want to celebrate the holidays or go black Friday shopping. Do what you can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and you’ll get an A+ in my book!