What I Learned From Spending Thanksgiving Day Alone
It was not as bad as I thought.
Digiorno pizza. That was my Thanksgiving Day feast. Digiorno pizza and an episode of New Girl. I struggle with telling friends and family this because I know that the first emotion it brings is sympathy. I’m not sure why…it was a great day. Different than any other Thanksgiving I’ve had before, but still a fantastic day. Here is what I learned from spending Thanksgiving by myself.
Lesson 1: Outdoors = Mood Booster
My Thanksgiving plans had fallen apart, and I thought about watching TV and “relaxing” for the rest of the day. Thankfully, I decided to go outside on a hike instead. Just the simple act of moving around began to shift my attitude. I quit focusing on being alone and began to observe others and the nature around me.
Lesson 2: Embrace the silence and journal
At first, the silence was deafening. I realized how little time I spend time in silence. It brought forth a lot of thoughts and worries. I have heard repeatedly how great journaling is, so I figured I would give it a try. I am amazed at how beneficial it was.
I began by writing a bullet point of a thought that was in my head. What was odd was that while writing something out suddenly, two more ideas would pop into my head. I got my worries onto the paper and then discovered that my fears were not as bad as they seemed in my head. In fact, most of them could be quickly addressed. The act of getting them out of my head and on to paper was more beneficial than meditation or any other thing I have tried to ease my anxiety.
Also, I began to gain a new skill. I have never described myself as creative. While journaling, though, I could see my creativity begin to increase. Journaling on Thursday is how I came up with the idea for this article and ideas for future articles. Article ideas are usually an area I struggle with. I came up with more ideas on one day than I had for the entire month.
I had tried journaling numerous times in the past but mainly via my laptop. I have terrible handwriting and am much faster at typing. However, writing in a journal forced me to slow down and allowed more time for ideas to develop in my head. Journaling is something I hope to continue going forward.
Lesson 3: Mindset
Make goals
I was nervous to spend Thanksgiving Day by myself. There had been numerous times when I thought I needed alone time, but then I would just be lazy and watch TV all day feeling crappy about myself. Going into Thanksgiving, I made a simple list of things I wanted to get done. Nothing super detailed, but I knew that I wanted to go on a hike, read a little, and finish an article.
The best part of making these goals was that it got me out of the house. With COVID-19, everything is shut down, so I hung out in my car outside the gym. Getting into a new environment first thing in the morning helped to get my mindset right. I could be productive without the temptation to binge-watch TV.
Showing gratitude
I have to admit, first thing in the morning, I did sulk about my situation. The thing that got me out of this mood was I took 10 minutes to fill an entire page of everything I was grateful for. These were just bullet points, and some were extremely small. Oreos made my list of gratitude to give an idea of how little I am talking. After the first minute or two, I noticed that my mindset began to shift, and I was no longer sulking.
Serve others
The one thing I wish I would have done is volunteered somewhere to help others. Unfortunately, this idea did not come to me until afterward, but I think it is something that I should have done. I would have been helping others, and it also would have gotten me into the right mindset. Serving is something I will add next Thanksgiving.
Lesson 4: Reach out to others
The last lesson I learned is that people do care. My family called and checked in on me, and even my boss offered to bring over a plate of food. I was surprised by how much this meant to me. I am usually not great at reaching out to others, but it instilled in me this goal of reaching out to people who may be struggling or alone. Even just shooting someone a text checking in on them can be beneficial.
Key Takeaway
It is okay to spend some time alone. It can be beneficial. Try to have a loose plan of the day, do something outdoors/active, and spend some timing diving deep into your thoughts. To get yourself in the proper mindset, begin with five things that you’re grateful for.
