10 Tips on how to spend Christmas Day alone.

The festive period can be really difficult to navigate after a breakup.

Full of memories of happier times and surrounded by people seemingly having the ‘perfect’ Christmas. Every time you go onto social media it’s full of photos of families having the Christmas that you long for.

Sometimes circumstances such as a breakup mean that we end up spending Christmas day alone.

But that doesn’t mean for one minute that you're not loved.

And it won't always be this way.

There is so much you can do to reframe the situation and plan a special Christmas day for yourself – where you celebrate YOU. It’s a perfect excuse to indulge in whatever you love doing whilst you have time alone and don’t have to worry about anyone else.

Here are 10 tips to help you have a magical Christmas alone:

1. Ask yourself what brings you joy? List down at least 5 things that you love to do and that make you happy. Try and plan these in over the festive period, especially on Christmas Day. It’s time to be selfish and focus on yourself for a change, without feeling guilty. It's crucial for our wellbeing and happiness that we consciously ensure we experience positive emotions regularly in our life.

2. Practice Gratitude - When you’re going through a breakup it’s easy to focus on the negatives and what you don’t have in your life. Get a cup of tea or a glass of wine and make a list of everything you have in your life to be grateful for. I know it might not seem like anything, but we all have lots to be grateful for. It’s impossible to experience negative thoughts when we’re feeling grateful.

3. Catch up on boxsets or your favourite movies – Now’s the time to take advantage of the time off and immerse yourself in the boxsets you’ve been meaning to get round to all year. Laughter is a great way to change your mood, so also have a list of movies and tv programs that never fail to make you laugh out loud.

4. Get out in nature – this is another way to change how you’re feeling, especially when it’s combined with movement. Take yourself out for a lovely long walk and pay attention to everything you notice around you and appreciate the beauty in everything you see. This can really help to change your perspective and improve your mood.

5. Move your body – if you don’t feel like getting out in nature, try exercising at home. Even if this means turning the radio up loud and having a dance around the kitchen. Moving your body helps to shift your emotions and releases all the endorphins that make you feel better. Choose something that you love doing whether that's yoga, a HIIT class or anything in between.

6. Plan a day of self- care – self- care is often something that gets pushed to the bottom of the list when we lead busy lives. This is a perfect excuse to pamper yourself for the day. Create a spa experience for yourself at home – have a long soak in the bath, have a facial and paint your nails. It will make you feel so much better. If that doesn’t appeal to you, think about what self-care means to you and plan it in.

7. Make an uplifting playlist – Music is another powerful way of changing your mood. Make a playlist before the big day of all your favourite uplifting songs so that you can have it on repeat.

8. Cook yourself a special meal – whether that’s a traditional Christmas dinner or your favourite meal. Just because you’re on your own doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t nourish your body. Show yourself that you’re worth it and if you really can’t face cooking on the day, there are plenty of healthy ready meals that you can buy in advance.

9. Volunteer – There are so many people who need support on Christmas Day and giving your time to volunteer not only has a positive effect on the recipients but also on you. When we perform acts of kindness it’s been shown to make us happier and healthier (including reducing stress levels) and it makes us feel less lonely. It also has a ripple effect in that if someone experiences an act of kindness, they’re more likely pay it forward.

10. Prepare your Breakup Bucket List – take the time to focus on where you want to be this time next year. Where do you want to be and who with? What’s everything that you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t do in your relationship? Where have you always wanted to go and what do you love doing? If you’re a visual person turn this into a vision board and put it somewhere that you can see it every day. What we focus on in life, we see more of, and you’ll find that opportunities start to come your way when you have clarity about what you want in life.

I hope I’ve given you some ideas to show you that you can still have an enjoyable Christmas day, even though you’re spending it alone.

Remember it is just one day and you can make the decision that you’re going to enjoy it despite being on your own. You have the choice on how you’re going to spend it and how you're going to feel. Instead of asking yourself hamster wheel questions like ‘what’s wrong with me?’ or ‘what did I do to deserve this?’ Ask yourself what you can do to make yourself feel better on this Christmas Day.

If you’re going through a breakup and wants more tips and support like this, then you can follow me on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/sarahwoodward_divorcecoach/

Or join my free Facebook Group – The Breakup and Divorce Lounge which is a safe and non-judgemental community of women who are all in the same situation.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebreakupanddivorcelounge