Solo Self-Care During the Holidays: Finding Comfort, Joy, and Connection for Yourself

The holidays are often framed around togetherness—full tables, bustling kitchens, and calendars dotted with gatherings. At Small Kitchen, Big Entertaining, we celebrate those moments deeply. But there’s another side of the season that deserves just as much care: the quiet moments when it’s just you.

Whether you’re between gatherings, spending a night in by choice, or navigating a season that feels a little heavier than usual, solo self-care isn’t a consolation prize. It’s an opportunity to refill your own cup so that when you do gather, you show up rested, grounded, and present.

Here are a few simple, meaningful ways to care for yourself during the holiday season—no guest list required.

Reframe “Being Alone” as Intentional Time

Holiday solitude can feel uncomfortable if we frame it as something we’re missing. Instead, try seeing it as time you’ve claimed. This is time without expectations, without schedules, without needing to please anyone else.

Light a candle. Put on music you love but never play for company. Let the kitchen stay quiet if that’s what you need—or cook something indulgent and entirely your own. Intentional solitude can be restorative when we allow it to be.

Create a Ritual, Not a To-Do List

Self-care doesn’t have to mean productivity. In fact, it’s often the opposite.

Create one small ritual you return to throughout the season. Maybe it’s a morning cup of coffee enjoyed slowly at the counter. Maybe it’s an evening walk after dinner, a few pages of a book before bed, or five minutes of stretching while something simmers on the stove.

Rituals give structure without pressure. They anchor us when the rest of the season feels full.

Enjoy Small Indulgences—Just Because

You don’t need guests to justify treating yourself well.

Keep your favorite snack on hand—the one you usually save for “special occasions.” Savor a piece of chocolate in the afternoon. Make yourself a hot beverage that feels luxurious: a spiced tea with a warm slice of my Honey Banana Tea Bread, a rich hot chocolate, a latte topped with cinnamon or whipped cream. 

These small indulgences are reminders that pleasure doesn’t have to be earned. It can simply be enjoyed. In a season that often revolves around giving, letting yourself receive—even from yourself—is a quiet act of care.

Cook for Comfort, Not Performance

When you’re cooking just for yourself, release the pressure to impress. This is the time for comfort foods, like my Creamy Chickpea Soup, half-recipes, and meals eaten straight from the pot if you like.

Make something nostalgic. Revisit a dish that feels like home. Or cook something simple that requires very little thought. Cooking can be grounding, especially when you let it be about nourishment rather than presentation.

Stay Gently Connected

Solo self-care doesn’t mean complete isolation. A thoughtful text, a short phone call, or sharing a favorite recipe with a friend can be enough to feel connected without overextending yourself.

Connection doesn’t always require a full gathering. Sometimes it’s just knowing someone else is thinking of you—and that you’re thinking of them too.

Give Yourself Permission to Feel What You Feel

The holidays can bring joy, nostalgia, grief, gratitude, and exhaustion—sometimes all at once. There’s no “correct” way to feel.

Allow yourself space for whatever comes up. Rest when you’re tired. Step back when you need to. Celebrate small wins, even if that win is simply getting through the day with kindness toward yourself.

A Season of Care, Inside and Out

At Small Kitchen, Big Entertaining, we believe that hospitality starts long before guests arrive—it starts with how we care for ourselves. When we honor our own needs, we create a foundation for deeper connection, both with others and within ourselves.

This holiday season, make room for quiet moments, small indulgences, and intentional care. You deserve to feel nourished, comforted, and at home—especially in your own kitchen.