The holidays are one of the happiest times of the year, but it can be tricky to enjoy them if you’re an older adult living by yourself. Maybe your kids have moved away, and you don’t have many friends yet. Maybe everyone is on vacation this year. Whatever the case, it’s critical to know how to combat this feeling throughout these months.
Dealing with loneliness during the holidays can be tricky, but it’s far from impossible. Read on to learn more about how to deal with loneliness in your later adult years. We’ll offer plenty of tactics, from finding others to speak with to taking a walk. Let’s dive into a few of the best ways to handle loneliness during one of the most joyful times of the year.
Join A Social Group
One tactic you can take is to join a social group. These individuals gather together, often every week, to meet and talk about various topics. You’ll get to make friends and connect with other people during the gathering times, and you might even be able to communicate about the struggles felt during the holidays.
Social groups might exist at locations like the following:
- A local church
- A community center
- An apartment or senior living facility
These locations typically foster groups where people can gather.
Some groups might focus on crafts, books, religious discussions, and more. You’ll make friends and even draw your attention towards something other than your feelings, which will make it much easier to deal with this time of year. Socialization is shown to improve loneliness.
Set Up Video Meetings With Family and Friends
If you have family and friends you love but live far away, ensure you set up constant video meetings with them when everyone has a spare moment of free time. We live in a time where it’s easier than ever to connect via technology, so it’s critical to take advantage of it if you have people you love speaking to.
Consider connecting via platforms like:
- Zoom
- FaceTime
- Snapchat
These are all valuable and popular ways to video call.
If you can’t figure out technology, reach out to a local technology company or a younger person who has more experience with video calling. Once you know how to use video calling, make a schedule to provide something to look forward to during the week.
Before you start diving into the world of the internet, check out our 10 Online Security Tips for Seniors.
Take a Class
If you’re alone for the holidays, another tactic you can try is taking a class. The class can be related to the holidays, or it can be for something completely different. Whatever the case, look for a course that interests you and sign up for something to fill in the gaps when you have no visitors.
You might take classes on:
- Painting
- Cooking
- Dancing
- Writing
Not only will a class provide entertainment, but it also offers the opportunity to connect with new people who share your interests. Some courses are single-day, while others can stretch over weeks and months. Classes are simple to customize to your comfort level, depending on how much you’d like to socialize.
Check your local community center, college, and church for classes. You can also see if any local studios are offering special classes for the holidays!
Find Other Alone Individuals
Another simple way to reduce your loneliness during the holidays is to make an effort to connect with other individuals. This tactic is easier if you live in a retirement community or a 55+ neighborhood where most people around you are in a similar stage of life.
Once you find peers, you will be able to connect with them. Relating to others will make the situation less lonely during the holidays. Of course, you might not be in the same stage of life, but having peers you can speak to during these new moments will make it easier to get through them.
If you don’t have peers in your area, try using online forums if you’re familiar with the internet. You might also ask a friend or family member if they know anyone you might be able to connect with during the holidays.
Take a Walk
Another way to beat holiday loneliness is to walk. Simply moving your body will help improve your mood and has the potential to reduce loneliness, especially at a time of the year when sunshine is much less apparent than it used to be.
Walking by yourself during the holidays is ideal for introverts. You can look at decorations, window shop, and even explore the area.
If you’d prefer to socialize, attempt to gather a group of friends who live in your community. You don’t need to walk fast – just moving around will help.
Reach Out When Lonely
Another critical thing you can do when feeling lonely during the holidays is to remain aware whenever you feel lonely. Before the holiday season arrives, ensure you have someone you can call or reach out to when you get lonely. Whenever you start feeling down, give them a call, text, or meet in person.
Considering reaching out to the following people if you feel down:
- A family member
- A close friend
- An employee, if you live in a senior apartment building
- A neighbor
Never be afraid of reaching out when lonely. As long as you aren’t rude, there is sure to be someone who will listen and help you feel a little better. You might even gain a friend along the way.
Decorate Your Home
It’s much trickier to be lonely when you have a home decorated for the holidays, so ensure you have plenty of cute lights, statues, and signs ready to hang up when the critical months come up. The more decorating you have to do, the less time you will have to think about being lonely.
You can decorate for:
- Halloween
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- New Years
Although not everyone does it, you can decorate for each of these holidays or just pick one to focus on, like Christmas. There is no harm in decorating way in advance! (Think October for Christmas!)
Spend time planning your decorations, rearranging them, and ensuring the right place. Then, invite your friends, loved ones, and neighbors over to witness the fruits of your labor. Community is an excellent deterrent to loneliness.
Keep in mind you can also decorate little by little to give you something to do and a way to keep your mind busy.
Explore Various Hobbies
The holidays are a great time to explore different hobbies if you’re worried about feeling lonely. If you’re interested in learning how to knit, now is the time to take it up. If you want to better understand how to make a perfect cup of tea, you can do that to keep yourself occupied.
Hobbies will provide exciting goals during these months and keep you focused. The more you think about bettering yourself in a hobby, the faster the holiday season loneliness will fly by.
Some good hobby ideas to look into for seniors include yoga, Tai Chi, and swimming (if you have a local pool!)
Have A Plan for the Holidays
It’s always a good idea to plan for the holidays, and it’s never too early to get things in order. Speak with family members and loved ones to help determine your plans, giving you a rigid structure to stick to to prevent any loneliness that might sneak up on you during the holiday season.
Plan for things like the following:
- When you get to see specific family and friends
- Where you will be on each holiday
- Various activities and vacations throughout the months
Have a plan in mind, with each activity acting as a stepping stone along the way.
The clearer your plan, the easier it will be to focus on what is to come and to refrain from getting lonely. Get a calendar and work with your loved ones to ensure you all know what’s going on before the months arrive.
Volunteer
Finally, if you’re able to leave your living place, consider volunteering during the holiday season. There is always a need for a helping hand during this time of the year, and one study showed that volunteering might be good for the body and mind. You’ll get to forget about your worries and assist others simultaneously.
Consider volunteering at places like the following:
- A local food drive
- A soup kitchen
- A toy drive
Even the smallest thing can make a massive difference in someone’s life, and there is nothing like volunteering to make you forget about your worries. Check out local opportunities in your apartment building, through your local church, and other locations where information is posted regularly regarding volunteer opportunities.
Final Thoughts On Dealing With Loneliness
Loneliness can impact anyone, but it tends to spring up more often in the later adult years and moments of isolation. Luckily, there are many healthy ways to deal with these emotions to ensure a wonderful holiday season and shake the loneliness that might try to sprout up.
A few of the best ways to handle your lonely feelings are to join a social group, set up video meetings, take a class, find other individuals, take a walk, reach out when lonely, decorate the home, explore hobbies, have a plan, and volunteer. The more you do, the easier it will be to distract yourself from feeling somber.
