Christmas is traditionally the time to spend with family. It’s therefore no surprise that some people find it a depressing time. Spending Christmas with family can mean lots of housework, lots of fake smiles and lots of time spent wishing you were somewhere else. And that’s for people who even have family to share it with. For people who have no family or who live far away from them, Christmas surrounded by images of happy families on TV and in magazines can drive one to depression. And even if you do love your family, sometimes you just want a break. It’s not that you don’t love your family, it’s just that after spending the year with them at various birthdays, weddings and other celebrations, you would rather spend a few days away from them.
If you fit into any of the categories I just described then this article is for you. I’ve spent a few Christmases away from family and while it was fun, there are many many chances to feel sad and lonely during that time. I hope this post will help prevent those feelings and help you enjoy Christmas sans family.
Here are my tips:
– Travel with a friend or friends. Normally, I’m a big believer in travelling alone and have written about it before but trust me, Christmas is not the best time to do that especially if it’s your first time spending Christmas away from family or your first time travelling alone.
– Plan something to do every single day of the holiday even if you’re not travelling anywhere.
– If you have the option, work through the holiday. It’ll keep you busy and give you less time to imagine that everyone is having more fun than you.
– Stock up on food especially if you’re planning a staycation this holiday season. There’s nothing worse than being bored and hungry at Christmas time.
– Before the holidays come ‘round, make sure you have a plan for Christmas day itself. If you make zero plans and wind up sweating in the heat at home because NEPA has taken light and you want to save the fuel for nighttime, it will be your worst Christmas ever.
– If you’ll be spending Christmas in Lagos and aren’t sure what to do, this post about how I spent Christmas in Lagos last year could give you some ideas.
I hope these tips help and that you have a wonderful Christmas. Let me know how the holidays go for you. Merry Christmas!
