there are only a few hours left before we welcome the new year. we have been talking about parties, recipes, road trips, and shopping to celebrate our new year. 

there is, however, another side to the story. many of us already go through a lot of stress and anxiety during the holidays. we have talked about holiday stress and how to cope with it earlier. However, the pandemic could make this holiday much worse for many people.  it is, after all, advertised as the day you must party till the sun rises.

it is okay if you are alone or can’t go on the trip that you have been planning for at least a month now. this is a difficult holiday to spend all on your own, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have hope for the future.

so, if you are spending the new year alone due to social anxiety or because you are far away from your friends and family, then here are some ways you can try to be happy and less stressed.

It’s the last day of the year, not the end of the world

movies always make us feel that the way we spend the last day of the year or welcome the new year is what matters the most. but it doesn’t. even if you are alone on the 31st, you must have several happy moments throughout the year with your friends and family that you can think of.

call a friend

in this era of digital connectivity, you can always reach out to your loved ones. watch a movie with them or simply talk about your favourite memories. a little bit of nostalgia could take you out of your negative frame of mind.

Do something for yourself

cooking can be very therapeutic. and making yourself some comfort food could make you feel warm and safe. it’s all about making yourself feel a little better than you are.

if cooking is not your thing, then you can do anything that makes you feel at home. maybe organise your study table, sleep or clean your house.

it’s okay to be alone and it’s okay to be not as happy as your insta feed.

we don’t need to have a blast to celebrate the last day of the year. we just need to recognise that we are safe and alive and that the coming year will be full of new experiences. some will be good and some might be bad. but they will still be new experiences, and that's worth it. 

so have a very happy new year.

take care and live aastey!