Sometimes when duty calls, it calls in the middle of December, when everybody else seems to be enjoying their loved ones and sharing in the joy of their holiday traditions. Instead of ignoring the call and throwing a pity party of one, here are a few ways to make your solo holiday work season a little less Bah-Humbug, and a little more “Merry Christmas, Every One”!
Image: Flickr
The first trick to making the best of a solo holiday is to stop focusing on what your expectations are and instead resolve to be open to an alternative solution. While a change in perspective doesn’t magically transport anybody home for the holidays, it creates room to explore the possibilities of the situation at hand!
Just as any fast-paced business setting requires a good dose of flexibility and a positive outlook during the rest of the year, managing personal needs and professional duties requires the same, if not more, resilience during the holidays.
Once you dive into the present situation, see if you can find pockets of time that will allow you to infuse your schedule with some holiday cheer. In between meetings and emails, there is bound to be at least two or three chunks of time that you can pencil in a few festive activities that mean the most to you. You might have a cup of hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows and a candy cane stir stick, while you answer your emails. Stopping by the local Starbucks on the way in to work will add the perfect red holiday cup and peppermint pastry to your morning coffee routine. You could even decorate your desk or window with a few snowflake paper cutouts, garland or twinkle lights to make your view more holiday friendly. If you’re staying at one of PC Housing’s corporate housing units, be sure to add a little dash of holiday cheer to make it seem just that much more like home.
The next step after bringing the holidays into your own space and routine is to branch out. Find out what local eateries are having Christmas dinners, or see if your coworkers, flatmates or neighbors would like to join you for a tour of the decorated neighborhood. Make some new friends and have a unique and new experience with them this year!
Even though you find yourself alone or abroad this season, focus on the true spirit of the holidays and find out how you can help the community you are in. See if there are volunteer positions with the local soup kitchen or food delivery charity on Christmas Eve. Regardless if you are religious or not, look up your local church and ask about any seasonal programs, services and food drives. Jump in! Get involved!
Sometimes, the best adventures are had when we let go of what we want an experience to look like and dive into making the best of it!