5 Ways to Banish Single-for-the-Holidays Depression, by the Single Woman Author Mandy Hale

by Mandy Hale

The holiday season, with all its twinkly lights and fireplaces and cold nights perfect for snuggling is most definitely for lovers--but I'm here to remind you that it's also for singles too.

Holidays are, like everything else in life, what you make of them. So if you are crying into your eggnog at the thought of spending another Christmas or Chanukah alone, don't. Instead, try this:

Do Something New.
I always poked fun at Black Friday and the whole idea of standing in line for five hours to purchase something I probably don't really need, but this year, after an ex failed to respond to my perfectly breezy "Happy Thanksgiving" text, I joined my sister to shop my sorrows away. And guess what? I ended up winning a contest and getting my entire purchase for free. I suddenly couldn't care less if I had a present under the tree from a guy because, hello, free stuff! It never would have happened had I sat home pouting about my unreturned text message. Lesson learned.

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Volunteer.
Nothing puts your personal problems in perspective like connecting to something bigger than you. Volunteer to see how blessed and privileged you truly are. Last holiday season I volunteered for Feed America First, creating food boxes for needy families, and finding a way to plug myself in and fill a need was like sunshine to my soul. There is always someone around you who has it worse, and sometimes we need a reminder of that.

Start Traditions With Friends and Family.
Last year I went to the Christmas tree lighting in my town with my nieces, took pictures with Santa with some of my best friends, and helped plan a trip to the mountains with my family. It's a perk of single life that we sometimes overlook: we have the time and opportunity to do so much... including actually becoming FRIENDS with our parents. I have a deeper, richer relationship with my parents than I might have ever had if I'd coupled up in my 20s as most of my friends did.

Get Started on New Years Resolutions.
...but instead of setting the same old lofty ones, try coming up with a list of tangible and attainable goals. Create a vision board (it can be a dry-erase board where you list the things you want to do this year). This literally changed my life back in 2010 when I decided I would "start a blog." I did, and it turned into a website, which then became an e-book, which was optioned into a published book, which changed my entire life and career forever...all because I started small and set a New Years resolution I could actually keep.

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Clean Up Your Surroundings.
Take inventory of your house and your surroundings and do a little cleanse of the unnecessary stuff in your life. I've found that when you lose a lot of physical baggage, it motivates you to get rid of the emotional baggage in your life as well.

Come chat with Mandy on Twitter from 2-2:30pm EST on 12/10! She'll be taking your questions and sharing tips, advice, and all-around fun stuff for single women of all ages. Follow @thesinglewoman and @glamourmag and use the hashtag #glamoursw to join on Tuesday, and submit your questions now in the comments below so Mandy can get her answers ready!

Mandy Hale is affectionately known around the world (and especially on Twitter!) as "The Single Woman." Her mission is to inspire single women to live their best lives and to never, ever settle. Her first book, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass, was released in August, and her next book, I've Never Been to Vegas but My Luggage Has, hits shelves in March 2014.

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