How to Spend New Year’s Eve Alone (and Maybe Even Enjoy It)
Written by TYE Medical on Dec 20th 2024
New Year’s Eve is a holiday that isn’t intended to be spent alone as is evidenced by the festive parties and mega celebrations that are held in many cultures. It’s common or even expected for you to “ring in” the new year with friends and loved ones. But that’s not always possible for everyone whether it’s due to living in a new location, distance from family, health conditions, or other unique circumstances.
But even if you’re going it alone, it doesn’t have to be a depressive, or dejected holiday experience. You can make your New Year’s Eve a time of contentment and refreshment even if you’re spending it by yourself. Here’s how.
Confront Negative Thoughts
Before you can make plans for your solitary New Year’s Eve, you must focus your mind appropriately. Dwelling on negative thoughts will only deflate your holiday. Instead, confront those negative thoughts head on and flip them around. The psychological term for this is “reframing”. Reframing negative thoughts means to identify a negative thought for what it is, evaluate it (is it true, is it helpful), and then consider the positive alternative, replacing the negative thought.
For example, you may experience feelings of sadness because you believe you’ll always be alone for New Year’s. But you can recognize that as a negative thought and evaluate it. Do you know for certain that this statement is true? No, of course not. Is it helpful? Not at all. Instead, you can accept that you’re alone this year but also see it as an opportunity to self-reflect, contemplate the new year, and be thankful for the good you experienced during the past year.
This shift in your thinking can give a whole new perspective on your New Year’s Eve.
Reflect on the Year Ahead
Quiet time to reflect on the past year and your goals for the future are often missing from the average person’s New Year’s Eve. This year, make a point to relax and create a list of blessings or good things that came your way in the previous year. Then consider areas where you would like to see improvement and follow through with a plan for achieving those goals.
It’s also important to consider your needs. What has been missing from your life? What have you been dragging your feet on? What can you do to bring joy to others? Perhaps there are changes you need to make in the coming year. Write these things down as well and make a point to pursue them. Perhaps you can find ways to include more social interaction in your life. For some ideas, read our article, 10 Expert Tips to Ease Holiday Isolation.
Make Specific New Year’s Resolutions
After some solid time in self-reflection, it’s much easier to create needful and viable resolutions for the new year. Be sure to keep your list short and realistic so that you can sustain lasting change.
Take those broader reflections and narrow them down to more specific, obtainable goals. Some ideas include:
- Practicing gratitude
- Practicing being more assertive as needed
- Working to improve social skills
- Developing healthier lifestyle habits
- Facing challenges rather than avoiding them
- Volunteer more
- Repair damaged relationships
- Grow a good friendship
- Build a new friendship
- Plan a trip you’ve always wanted
- Read more
There are many other New Year’s resolutions that can enhance your life when put into practice.
Rewind and Accept That Invitation
Sometimes social anxiety can cause a knee-jerk reaction that results in immediately declining an invitation. If you have turned down an invitation to a New Year’s Eve event, it may not be too late to reconsider. At the very least, you gain an opportunity to improve your social skills. It can be your first step in keeping resolutions to be more social or engage new friendships. Contact the friend or acquaintance who extended the invitation and let them know you intend to be there.
Get Cozy and Enjoy a Night In
If you are spending New Year’s Eve alone, make a night of it! Or your favorite take-out or delivery meal, snuggle into your favorite pajamas, and queue up some classic New Year’s movies. Popular movie choices for the occasion are “When Harry Met Sally” and “Ocean’s Eleven”. You might even decide to tune in to watch the ball drop in Times Square.
Making a night of it in the comfort of your own home can be a cozy alternative to facing the crowds and parties when those aren’t viable options.
Connect by Phone
Maybe you can’t be there in person, but you can schedule phone calls with friends or loved ones. Ask someone to call you or plan to call them right before midnight so you can share the last moments of the year together, counting down. If a New Year’s Eve countdown isn’t important to you, you can still plan for a couple phone calls to share some of your reflections on the year and maybe even a couple resolutions.
New Year’s Eve Is What You Make of It
If you feel sadness creeping in during your solo New Year’s Eve, consider this list of ways to overcome the negative and make your holiday a time of personal reflection and relaxation. It’s important to reframe negative thoughts as you endeavor to enjoy your holiday. Then reflect on the year and make new year’s resolutions, accept declined invitations, connect with loved ones by phone, and spend a cozy night inside while enjoying your favorite meal and movies. You can find contentment and purpose even when spending New Year’s Eve alone.
