I didn’t plan on spending Christmas by myself this year. Well, ever? But sometimes things work out the way they do and the decision becomes ‘what do I do with this?’.
I won’t pretend I didn’t spend several moments in the weeks leading up to it in a kind of shock – is this really my life right now? No, really though? Like, what’s the punchline? But when reality had properly settled in, I realised that this truly was just the consequence of some very difficult decisions that I never expected to have to make. And that I could either sit and feel really fucking miserable about it, which feels like a slap in the face for the me that was brave enough to do the scary thing, or I could honour the choices I made, accept the unintentional consequences, and really lean into where I’ve landed this year: saving my own damn self.
It doesn’t feel like the right time to speak more about the journey that got me here – or why the name Fitter Inner is just so apt on so many levels, please, that’s a whole other post or five, I can’t even.
So for now, in this week that can be a bit weird for anyone doing Christmas on their own*, I thought I’d just share my personal list of ideas for things I might choose to do, alongside the usual films and cooking, that will bring me joy and might even get me out of bed each day this Christmas season.
And hey, if it inspires you to make your own list, or makes you feel like you’ve got a bit of company as you navigate your own solo Christmas for the first time, all the better.
*for any reason other than being the haunted main character of a Charles Dickens novel
🎄 A Christmas List 🎄
- Write myself a letter for next Christmas 💌
- Create a vision board for 2026 👓
- Review each month of the past year 📆
- Pick my theme word for the new year ⌨️
- Bake cookies 🍪
- Read 🤩
- Knitting 🧶
- Jigsaw 🤩
- Create a new Christmas tradition 🎄
- Buy a Christmas scratchcard!
- Create a mini stained glass window artwork with card and tissue paper 🖼️
- Make an affirmations bowl for the year ✍🏻
- Do something sparkly 🤩✨
- Buy sparkling non-alcoholic drinks 🍸
- Celebrate Swiftmas 🫶✨🩷
- Blow bubbles 🫧
- Play hopscotch 🔢
- Paint using a prompts list 🎨
- Go for walks with my inner child 🥰☺️🩷
- Research Hedgehog sanctuary volunteering for 2026 🦔
It’s so random and a good mix of playful and reflective, looking to the past, present and future. I love it for that, it feels authentic to who I am. Giving my nervous system gentleness and guidance, when her instinct might be to spiral, feels soothing and loving. It reminds me that this is a time when I can actively seek out joy, and if that’s possible in the middle of a solo Christmas, it’s got to be possible for most other times, too.
That feels like a pretty good way to be leaving behind an old year and bringing in a new one.
Are you spending these holidays with yourself? What’s your plan, are you making a list of all your favourite things to do? Share your ideas below, I’d love to hear them (and maybe pinch a few!) ☺️🎄✨😚
Fitter Inner 