And while it may not feel like it, stressful situations like this holiday season (and really, 2020 as a whole) is what humans are built for. The holiday season can be a lonely time for many people. It’ll be fine.”. Terms of Service Granados is trying to see the positive side of her solo Christmas celebrations. It's healthy to feel them rather than shove them back down. Alone for Covid Holidays? We know spending the holidays on our own will keep our loved ones healthy. The holiday season can be difficult enough for some, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be extra things to consider. We spoke to experts in stress and connection who told us how to navigate the complicated emotions around spending the holidays alone. "But sitting in that doesn't help.". There's no right or wrong way to feel right now. If you or a loved one is at high-risk for COVID-19 complications, the thought of hosting a traditional family gathering is nerve-wracking. Here's how to find joy in the solitude "When we engage in acts of altruism, it helps the person we're helping, but research shows that it has mental benefits for the giver, too," he says. “We’ve seen so many cases of asymptomatic people,” she says. Julia Mastroianni’s first attempt at writing resulted in the first 20 pages of a novel that she promptly abandoned, a year after starting, at age nine, because she couldn't bear to read her own work. After all, she hasn’t seen her dad since February. Clinical psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD, says that it’s not only valid but normal to feel upset if you’re spending the 2020 holidays all by yourself. Coronavirus lockdowns mean non-essential travel is currently banned. Preparing for the Holidays During COVID-19 Often, the last few months of the year are busy with parties and visiting family and friends. Privacy Policy, How to navigate being alone for the holidays during COVID-19. Toronto publicist Danielle M’s holiday celebrations typically involve sleeping over at her parents’ place for a few days around Christmas and a few dinner-and-drinks outings with friends. "There are possibilities for some good. CNN and the CNN logo are registered marks of Cable News Network, Inc., displayed with permission. Do you have any advice on managing the holidays alone? People who live alone in Alberta will be allowed to attend one event at another household over the coming holiday long weekend, says Premier Jason Kenney. Here are tips for having a happy holiday anyway. But at that point, COVID-19 had limited all travel. Caring for people and causes close to you -- in a safe, coronavirus-conscious way -- will melt away some of the negativity you feel. Here are some ideas to make it special while staying safe. "Alone for the holidays? Experts provided their best tips on how we can all help senior citizens remain happy and healthy during the 2020 holidays while safely social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. But leaning too deeply into the negativity can ground you in it for longer than you'd like. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All rights reserved. In the past, I've mostly worked with people who have been forced to spend the holidays alone by circumstances beyond their control. But when you're feeling low, Bufka advises, remember why you made that difficult choice in the first place -- to keep those people safe. A tiny owl was found in the Rockefeller Christmas tree and will soon be re-released into the wild. “I have a responsibility, and so does everybody else who can work from home. That means no more raucous get-togethers with extended family, being relegated to the kids' table or figuring out how to politely decline Grandma's fruitcake. So try out some positive distractions -- reading a good book, going for a walk or taking on a cooking project all put your mind and body to work. Since then, she’s completed assignments at various publications, including Post City Magazines and the National Post. Despite the fact that holiday gatherings have been putting the fun in dysfunction for decades, telling folks not to gather due to COVID-19 precautions is bound to ruffle a few turkey feathers. How to celebrate the holidays alone … Here's how to find joy in the solitude. If you find yourself slipping into an unpleasant mood, train your mind to focus on some of the good things on the way, Moskowitz recommends. Darcie Moran. She notes that her dad works at a hospital and she herself is not completely isolated, and so it was about weighing the risks for her and her family. The Ontario government's COVID-19 advice for the 2020 holiday season includes a list of ... “If you live alone you can join one other household so you won’t be alone for the holidays. Javier Campbell is a grocery store worker in Toronto who has no choice but to be away from his family for the holidays, since his family lives in Jamaica. Joordens recommends looking to the future for motivation while accepting that the holidays this year will just have to be different. We're more resilient than we know, says Moskowitz, who studies how people find positivity during periods of extreme stress. Here are tips for having a happy holiday anyway. Knowing her grandparents had COVID-19 compelled Granados to be more vocal about her alternative holiday plans when speaking with people who do not know someone who has tested positive. Let your pen wander -- remember, we're expressing our love in big ways now -- and surprise someone with a handwritten note of appreciation. “We are now at a place, thanks to the vaccine, where we can safely start thinking about how next year is going to be kick-ass,” he says. That doesn't make it any easier. Many of us will spend the holiday season the same way we've spent most of 2020: at home. Maybe you can't stomach turkey -- so eat pizza instead. Between the longer days and colder temperatures, winter can be hard enough. But due to COVID-19, things like traveling and gathering in large groups may not be possible. “We have a responsibility to help reduce the spread of this thing, to not put strain on our healthcare system and help protect our friends and family members and ourselves as much as possible.”. • Those experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, even mild ones, should stay home. With the continued ban on private gathering, many single people will be spending the holidays alone this year. “As humans, we are intensely social, and in fact, those social connections are especially important to us at times of any negative emotion – grief, anger, frustration, fear,” he notes. Now the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating feelings of isolation and loneliness as so many more people will spend the holidays alone. We're celebrating the holidays alone or virtually in 2020 due to social distancing and COVID-19 quarantine. You might find that light in volunteering, in a heartfelt phone call or a plateful of cookies. He had planned on visiting in April when he finished college. “The holidays tend to emphasize family, community traditions, and togetherness, so spending them alone can bring up feelings of loneliness, sadness, longing, and anxiety,” Jaclyn Lopez Witmer, a licensed clinical psychologist at Therapy Group of NYC, explains to Apartment Therapy, adding that Thanksgiving and other holidays might be especially difficult for those who have experienced … While her parents don’t love her choice, Danielle says they’ve come to respect her decision. If you still find yourself in a funk, that's OK, too, says Jonathan Kanter, a psychologist who heads the University of Washington's Center for the Science of Social Connection. With COVID-19 cases reaching new highs all over the country and the economy tanking, the end of the year will be marked by grim news and developments. And whether spending them on your own brings up grief, relief or something you didn't expect, you should lean into those emotions. With the entire province heading into lockdown on Boxing Day, COVID-19 restrictions have changed many people’s holiday plans. There's still light to be found even if our holiday is a bit more muted than we're used to. It could even be better!". Campbell doesn’t have any family in Toronto, so he’ll be spending the holidays alone, calling his family instead and hoping COVID-19 restrictions lift soon. • Residents should avoid gathering with anyone outside their immediate household, especially in lockdown zones. But that means something really sad for many of us: Spending the holidays alone. With states debating shutting down, Americans are grappling with the challenge of creating memories and fostering togetherness without spreading COVID-19, which will prevent them from celebrating with their elderly loved ones. © 2015 Nine Media Corp. CNN name, logo and all associated elements ™ and © 2015 Cable News Network. There's no reason for superficial small talk this year. AUBURN, Ala. (WRBL) – If you’re weary of the constant talk about the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone. International students alone for holidays due to COVID-19 travel restrictions Local News. And if you want to help but don't know where to start, CNN's Impact Your World compiled a comprehensive list of causes and organizations assisting people during the pandemic. Here's how to find joy in the solitude. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic. First -- the holidays will feel different this year. Physical contact is off-limits for now, so wrap somebody in a warm hug of emotion -- Kanter says you'll emerge from the pandemic with stronger relationships. But there's joy to be found in solitude. ", Simp: The new slang teens use to insult boys who are 'too nice' to girls, Yale is offering its highly popular 'happiness' course to high school students for free, NASA shares first video and audio, new images from Mars Perseverance rover, For those with body dysmorphic disorder, masks do more than protect. “I’ll have a nice quiet Christmas,” she says. Yesterday, 696 people died from coronavirus in the UK – the highest death rate since May. With Covid-19 cases rising and expected to approach or exceed the April peak in the fall, infectious-disease experts advise strongly against large holiday get-togethers. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated difficulty for Bear, as she, like many others, will be spending the holidays alone instead of with family due to coronavirus concerns. Granados understands why it might be especially upsetting for families nine months into the pandemic. “I’m just trying to put on some Christmas music, get into the holiday spirit, that kind of thing.”. Family Recipes, Flexibility and Online Connections Can Help How people across the U.S. are dealing with a more solitary holiday season “I’m not going to tell people not to have a family gathering, because mental health is important, especially now more than ever,” says epidemiologist Saskia Popescu, PhD, an assistant professor at George Mason University. “If more people are saying, ‘Don’t go,’ it kind of normalizes it, because the whole pandemic has been like, I see my friends doing this so it must be okay.”. Required fields are marked *. If you're sick of Zoom calls, consider writing letters to loved ones, Bufka recommends. Preparing for the Holidays During COVID-19 Often, the last few months of the year are busy with parties and visiting family and friends. “I feel like I also wouldn’t have decorated my apartment if I was having Christmas somewhere else,” she says. “She was saying last night, ‘If you were here, I would be playing with you, I miss you so much!'”. “I’ve just been trying to tell people you don’t necessarily have to go home for Christmas,” she says. They help them function. But this year, because of COVID-19, the holidays will be a little different – she’ll be alone in the city, cooking herself some food, watching a few movies, video calling with friends and family and sleeping whenever she wants. Marlowe Granados, a Toronto writer and filmmaker, ran into a similar problem when she had to break the news to her family that she wouldn’t be with them for the holidays. … It may not be easy or ideal, but we humans are capable of withstanding more than we know, including lonely holidays. 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