“There is absolutely nothing wrong with spending a holiday or any other day alone—we can all find joy and peace in a day to ourselves.”

America was wrestling with a loneliness epidemic even before the pandemic hit. But as Caren Lissner wrote in GEN last year, the factors feeding into a person’s loneliness can be complex and difficult to overcome. We as a society need to rewire our mindset around what it means to be alone and how to feel connected with other humans, not just around the holidays but year-round.

Rethinking Our Relationship With Loneliness