Spending the Holidays Alone? Netcare Akeso’s Crisis Line Manager, Megan Gonsalves shares her insights

Being alone during the festive season can feel daunting, but it can also be a time for meaningful self-connection, personal growth, and the creation of new traditions. Netcare Akeso’s Crisis Line Manager, Megan Gonsalves, shares compassionate, practical strategies to help you feel supported, connected, and grounded, even when you’re spending the holidays on your own

Whether distance, circumstance, or personal choice means you’re spending this time alone, it’s completely valid to find the season difficult. Yet solitude doesn’t have to mean isolation. With intention, creativity, and self-compassion, it’s possible to transform this period into one of meaning, comfort, and connection, both with yourself and with others.

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Netcare Akeso’s Crisis Line Manager, Megan Gonsalves shares her essential mental health tips for navigating the festive season

Netcare Akeso’s Crisis Line Manager, Megan Gonsalves, offers expert guidance for navigating the festive season when you’re on your own. Her advice highlights ways to stay emotionally supported, build new traditions, and access resources that ensure you never have to navigate this time completely alone.

Glamour: What strategies can individuals employ to create a sense of connection during the festive season when they’re alone?

Megan: If you are spending the festive season on your own, you can still find ways to feel connected. This is a great opportunity to connect more with yourself – spend some time on self-care and relaxation, tuning into your own physical and emotional needs.

Where your family and friends are perhaps far away, technology can help bridge the gap. Try perhaps playing a game over a video call with your loved ones, providing an opportunity for shared laughter and joy.

You can also look at volunteering over this time – many organisations can use extra hands and love, whether that be with people, animals, or in other areas of need. Opening your heart to others can keep you busy, provide an opportunity to meet new people, and also help to potentially make others feel less lonely over this time.

Glamour: How can someone establish new traditions that bring joy and meaning while spending the holidays by themselves?

Megan: Identify what is important to you – what are the things that bring you joy and meaning? You can then expand on this to create a new tradition for yourself. For example, if you love baking, you could expand this to baking a cake for a place of safety and dropping it off. You could also invite others to be part of the tradition – these could be people you know or other people who are perhaps spending this time by themselves too. Traditions can include thoughts, actions, and behaviours, so you can think of what you would like to share or see happening in your future.

This might require some out-of-the-box thinking and can be big or small. You could also combine actions that you love – for example, watching your favourite holiday movie with your favourite meal on a specific day.

Glamour: What resources or support systems are available for those feeling lonely during this time?

Megan: Mental health support is available all year round. There are often support groups happening which you could join. You could also look at your local community groups for events that are happening – this might mean leaving your comfort zone to meet new people, but it could be a very positive experience.

The Netcare Akeso crisis line, available on 0861 435 787, remains operational throughout the festive season where trained counsellors are available to talk to you without judgment and can guide you through the various options for assistance.