Lonely Christmas: How to deal with being alone during the festive season
On your own this Christmas? Here are five tips to avoid loneliness at Christmas and bring joy into your life and the lives of others.
Published on 14 December 2022
The festive season can be anything but celebratory for many people, particularly if by chance or circumstance, they’re spending it alone. Last year, a Red Cross survey found that about one in three people in Australia had experienced loneliness at Christmas over the previous holiday period.
“Every person’s situation is different … but what we do know is that the festive period is typically when families and friends come together,” says Australian Red Cross CEO, Judy Slatyer. “People experiencing loneliness may have strong memories of happier, more connected times.”
According to a recent report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 3.5 million Australians will be living alone by 2041 (up from 2.3 million in 2016); an increase of 52% that’s mainly down to our ageing population.
“We know that a sense of belonging is the mark of true wellbeing,” Judy says. “That’s why we launched our Season of Belonging initiative. We wanted to reach out to the Australian public, to share with them the stories of incredible people doing great things in tough times: Aussie farmers finding hope through the drought, former refugees finding safety in Australia, older people finding connections and passing on wisdom to younger generations.”
For those of us without family, friends or partners at this time of year, it’s important to put measures in place to help manage the negative health impacts of loneliness at Christmas. The good news is there are many ways to go about this. Celebrating Christmas and the ‘season of good cheer’ can be an empowering and joyful solo experience.