Last week, I delivered a webinar on how to lift yourself out of loneliness. I get a lot of calls for that topic at this time of year. Sadly, whichever way you cut the demographic mustard—men, women, younger, older, LGBTQ, BAME/BIPOC, neurodivergent, disabled—more and more people report feeling lonely some or most of the time. Sadly, those feelings can be compounded by Christmas, making the festive period difficult for many, for a variety of reasons. The solution lies in being more than a little self-indulgent. It’s a call to be selfish, but with good reason.

Not everyone can make it home for the holidays; sadly, not everyone has a home that they can go to for the holidays. Some can, but have to mask or downplay who they are. Many people around the world see the festive period as an endurance test and can’t wait for it to all be over.

We all know the advice; we all understand the remedies: get out more, reinvigorate old relationships, try to build new ones, join an interest or hobby group, learn to be happy with your own company, and so on. As practical as that all is, the holidays can wipe most of those options off the board. So, what do I mean by being self-indulgent?

The simplest and most powerful thing you can do is to admit that you are indeed lonely. Say it out loud if you need to. It is neither an elephant in the room nor a shameful thing lurking in the corner. It is simply a statement of........

© Psychology Today