How To Spend New Year's Eve Alone And Enjoy It: 12 No Nonsense Tips!

New Year’s Eve can be one of the best nights ever – but it can also feel a bit worrying for those who don’t have plans.

If you’re going to be spending the night alone, you don’t need it to be a lonely affair!

There are ways to spend this holiday on your own and have a brilliant time, even if the thought of it makes you feel stressed and anxious.

Let’s go through some great ideas to keep you entertained and happy this festive season…

1. Plan a movie night.

If you’re going to be spending NYE on your own, you’re probably not planning on going out to a bar!

Instead, make the most of having some downtime at home and plan a movie night. Choose a couple of feel-good movies, get some snacks, and get cozy on the sofa.

You don’t need to worry about feeling lonely as you’ll be distracted by the movie.

Choosing films you’ve already seen is a great idea, as you’ll probably feel quite comforted by familiar faces!

2. Schedule in a video call with loved ones.

You don’t need to be alone-alone! You can still chat to other people and share some quality time – even if it’s over the phone.

Plan a video call with your friends or family. We’d suggest not doing this at midnight as loads of other people will be doing the same and the connection might not be great.

Instead, plan the calls early in the evening so that you can definitely see and hear the other person properly!

This idea is great if you are currently away from your loved ones, perhaps for work or study.

3. Cook up a storm in the kitchen.

Plan something delicious for dinner and set up a little date night for yourself. This is a special occasion, after all, and you’re worth spoiling!

If you’re feeling a bit anxious about spending New Year’s Eve alone, it’s good to plan things out that take some time.

If you’re focused on a task, like cooking, you’re less likely to sit and feel lonely.

Try to stay slightly busy without overwhelming yourself and the evening will fly by – in a good way!

4. Treat yourself.

Do something lovely for yourself as a little celebration. That can be a nice glass of fizz to celebrate with at midnight, a toasty bath and unwinding session in the tub, or a tasty dessert.

Make this a nice evening for yourself so that it feels like an active choice to spend the night alone.

Try to reframe it in your mind – you’re not lonely, you’ve planned a great evening with yourself, for yourself, and that’s something to look forward to.

5. Celebrate the countdown…

If you fancy celebrating at midnight, make a good plan to do it!

Get the TV ready with the countdown, have some wine or fizz chilling in the fridge, and get excited about the big moment.

6. …or get an early night.

One of the best things about spending New Year’s Eve alone is being able to make your own decisions.

If you don’t want a noisy night in a bar, you don’t have to go! If you want to have a bath and get an early night, you’re more than welcome to.

There’s no big pressure to stay up and celebrate – it can be just another evening for you if that’s what you want. You won’t really be missing much anyway, so do what’s best for you!

7. Don’t compare your evening.

If you’re planning on being alone on New Year’s Eve, try to avoid looking at what everyone else is up to.

No matter how much you’re enjoying your evening, you’ll instantly feel a bit rubbish if you look at what an amazing time everyone else is having.

8. Stay positive.

Try to reframe any negative feelings you’re having about spending NYE alone.

It’s easier said than done, we know, but it’s good for your well-being and confidence if you can at least try.

This is just one evening – things might be completely different next year, and you can still have a fun night even if things aren’t quite what you planned.

9. Don’t wallow.

You might be tempted to spend the evening reminiscing over better times, but this will just end up with you being really sad and feeling down and lonely.

And that’s the exact opposite of what you should be aiming for!

Try to avoid getting too mopey and sad. If you do feel like you need some time to mourn your expectations for the evening, set aside 10 minutes or so to be sad and then make an effort to be present again.

Set an alarm, give yourself some time to honor how you feel and then get back to having a fun evening.

10. You can follow traditions.

You can still do the usual New Year’s Eve traditions – you can celebrate at midnight, play Auld Lang Syne, and make resolutions.

You don’t need to share them with anyone else for them to be meaningful. You can make the effort to continue what you’ve always done on this night, just on your own!

11. Don’t be scared to change your mind.

You might have declined invitations with the intention of spending New Year’s Eve alone – but that doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind if it feels like the right thing to do.

Remember that nobody is relying on you so it’s okay to change your plans – even if it’s last minute.

12. Pretend nothing is happening!

If you’ve chosen to spend New Year’s Eve alone, it might be because it has painful memories.

You’ll be in complete control of what happens on this evening, so you can pretend like it’s just a normal evening.

You can mute messages, leave your social media alone, and let your loved ones know that you need some space, just to make sure they don’t try to check in on you or worry that they’ve not heard from you.

Just because you spend New Year’s Eve alone, doesn’t mean it needs to be sad or disappointing!

You can spend the evening doing whatever you want, whether that’s treating yourself to a delicious 3-course meal, chilling out in the tub with wine and chocolate, celebrating at midnight and having a little boogie by yourself – or having a normal evening, not acknowledging what’s going on, and just taking some time to yourself.