New Year’s Eve is known for getting together with a group of friends or family as they celebrate their last night of the year and watch the ball drop. For people with social anxiety, however, they would prefer to celebrate the holiday alone. To avoid feel sad during the New Year, there are many ways you can enjoy being alone during New Year’s Eve and to help set goals to achieve for your social anxiety.
Social anxiety is having anxiety or fear during social situations. It can mean dating, going on a job interview, parties, dating, asking for help, answering a question, etc. It can even mean avoiding doing activities in public like using the restroom, trying on clothes in the dressing room, eating or drinking in front of anyone. You may be afraid of being humiliated or rejected so you do whatever it takes to avoid anything social. You can feel physical symptoms like blushing, sweating, trembling, a rapid heartbeat, or having sick to your stomach. During New Year’s Eve, you might not have any plans because you are afraid to make friends or you know you will feel extreme anxiety if you attend a large family gathering.
You may be tired of spending every New Year’s Eve alone because of your fear of social interaction. Remember that just because you are spending New Year’s Eve alone this year does not mean you will spend every New Year’s Eve alone for the rest of your life. Examine the year you have had with your social anxiety and see what you need to work on more for the next year and the accomplishments you have made so far with it. You can use this year to make a vow that if you feel really sad for being alone this year, get help when experiencing social anxiety symptoms and that you will make more efforts to connect. You can join support groups for those with social anxiety to see what others are doing for their New Year’s Eve and how they overcame their fears.
When you think about everything you have accomplished this year, celebrate the new year with a reward. You can treat yourself to a nice dinner either by ordering out, making a recipe you have wanted to try for a while, or go to a nice restaurant that is not so crowded. Take a trip to your nearest bookstore and order a book you have always wanted to read. If the bookstore is too crowded, read the book online through a virtual library on your computer or phone or download the book to an e-reader. Try to find popular self-help books on social anxiety to get a jumpstart on tips and advice to follow for the new year.
Another thing you can do is go watch the fireworks in your neighborhood. You may feel less lonely if you go to a place like a field or a park that is crowded full of people without the expectation to talk to them. Just being in the company of others may make you feel good. If a particular fireworks venue is too packed, see if any of your neighbors are watching the fireworks from their homes and join in. Take baby steps and try talking to a few people about the spectacular fireworks in the sky.
Celebrating the new year at home without any noise or partying can put you in a better mood to think of good New Year’s resolutions. You can make resolutions in regard to your health such as to eat well, have seven to eight hours of sleep, at least half an hour of exercise, improving your social skills, saying yes more to opportunities instead of no, being more open about your feelings, and being grateful for what you have instead of dwelling on what you do not.
If you are going to be alone in your house, look around and see if there is anything that needs to be done. Take the time to clean around your house, your office, or sleep for a few hours so that you have the energy to see the ball drop. If a friend or a relative invited you to a party and you told them no, reconsider their offer. Start your goal now of attending more functions. If you see someone not doing anything at the party, just say hi to that person and ask if they are having fun. This can be the start of making a new friend for the new year as well as someone to watch the ball drop with.
You can also find a movie on television to watch or rent one whether it is a new release or a New Year’s Eve classic like When Harry Met Sally. Five minutes before the ball drops, call a friend or a relative to talk to so that you can both wish each other a happy new year while the ball drops simultaneously. No one should ever have to be alone at the start of a new year and connecting with someone even by the phone can make a difference in your happiness. You can also connect with others through social media like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Think of this upcoming new year as a time to be hopeful that your social anxiety will get better and to be excited of what is to come.
Located in Tacoma, Washington, Bayview Center’s mission is to offer clinically-driven programs and services to treat a number of substance abuse disorders along with anxiety and depression using cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, trauma therapy, yoga therapy, and more for a successful recovery. For more information, please call us 1-888-570-7154 at as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
