Spending Christmas alone abroad is common among remote workers, and it goes better when you decide how to spend the holiday weeks before they arrive. The days around 25 December and 1 January strip out the usual structure of work, shops and meetups, and they put family traditions in sharp relief. This guide gives you a way to decide where to be, a plan for the day itself, and a short list of help resources for when the holidays feel heavy.
This is general information, not mental health advice. If you are struggling, please speak to a doctor or a qualified professional. If you are in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
The short version
- Loneliness is widespread. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in June 2025 that about 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected.
- Decide by mid-November where you will be for 24 December to 1 January. Planning early gives you more choice than deciding in the last week.
- Build the day around a few fixed points: something outdoors, a real meal, a conversation with a person and a plan for the evening.
- Holiday stress and a low mood that lasts for weeks are different things. The latter is a reason to speak to a professional.
- Our sources on holiday loneliness for nomads are mostly informal surveys and expat blogs. We found no peer-reviewed study of Christmas loneliness among digital nomads.
Why the holiday weeks feel different
WHO’s Commission on Social Connection reported in June 2025 that about 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected by loneliness. It linked loneliness to about 100 deaths every hour, or more than 871,000 a year. The figure describes a link, not proof that loneliness caused each death, and it covers the general population, not remote workers. Our loneliness guide explains the difference between loneliness and isolation, and what the nomad-specific research says.
The holidays add three pressures that are easy to describe even without research on nomads. Shared traditions are happening elsewhere, and photos of them arrive on your phone. The ordinary places where you meet people, such as coworking spaces, classes and cafés, often reduce their hours or close. And you may be in a time zone where the calls home land at an awkward hour. None of these is a measured cause, and they are our observations from common nomad accounts.
The US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says that holiday blues are not the same condition as seasonal affective disorder. That matters because the right response differs. A hard day or two around the holidays is normal for many people. A low mood that stays for weeks needs different attention, and the section on help below explains where to turn.
Decide where to be: five options
Expat and nomad guides we read describe the same set of choices. The table below sorts them. The “good for” and “watch for” columns are our judgment, and your situation may change the order.
| Option | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Stay in your current base | People who already have a few friends and a routine there | Quiet streets and closed venues in the holiday week. Plan activities before it starts |
| Choose a shared stay for the period | People who want daily company without organising it | Contract terms, house rules and how full it will be. See our coliving checklist |
| Travel to family or friends | People who miss home most | Flight prices and availability near the holidays, visa and passport timing, and a long trip for a short stay |
| Go to a place where other nomads gather | People who want a social crowd | A big group is not the same as a close one. Some people feel lonelier in a crowd of strangers |
| Treat it as a solo trip | People who enjoy time alone | The risk of drifting. Give each day one anchor, as the plan below describes |
One insurer blog we read suggests settling in one place for the festive period, and our own view is similar. Moving on the 23rd or 27th usually adds travel stress when you most want calm. Our guide to slow travel explains why a longer stay makes everything about a place easier, including the holidays.
A timeline from now to New Year
Dates for 2026: US Thanksgiving falls on Thursday 26 November, Christmas Day on Friday 25 December and New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January. The steps below are our suggested order.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| By mid-November | Decide where you will be for 24 December to 1 January. If you are travelling, book transport and a place to stay |
| Late November | Ask people from home when they can talk and agree a time that suits both time zones. Our time zone guide helps with the maths |
| First half of December | Find two or three things on the calendar near you: a class, a volunteer shift, a community meal, a group walk. Message the organisers |
| Mid-December | Stock your kitchen and decide what you will cook or where you will eat. Check opening hours of shops and restaurants for 24 to 26 December and 31 December to 1 January |
| Week of 21 December | Write a one-page plan for Christmas Day, using the template below. Tell one person what it is |
| 2 to 5 January | Return to your routine on purpose. Book one social event for the first week of January |
A plan for the day itself
An empty day tends to feel longer than a planned one. This template is our suggestion. Swap anything that does not suit you.
- Morning outdoors. A walk, a swim or a run before anything else. It gives the day a start, and the UK National Health Service (NHS) lists daily natural daylight and regular exercise among its lifestyle advice for seasonal affective disorder.
- A proper meal. Cook something you like, or book a table in advance. Check first that the place is open on the day.
- One live conversation. A video call with someone from home, or a coffee with someone nearby. Messages count for less than hearing a voice.
- Something for the afternoon. A film, a long book, a hobby or a volunteer shift. Many people find that giving time to others helps, which is also a common suggestion in expat guides.
- An evening anchor. A second call, a group dinner or a quiet evening with a plan, so the day does not end with a scroll through other people’s celebrations.
If you do not celebrate Christmas, the same weeks can still be quiet, because many businesses shut or slow down in places where it is a public holiday. Check your local calendar and plan for the closures, whatever your own traditions.
Ways to find company
Guides to Christmas abroad commonly suggest the same few routes. None of the following comes with evidence of effectiveness, and the order is ours.
- Community meals and potlucks. Look for them in local community groups and nomad communities. Many are open to newcomers, and they ask little of you.
- Volunteering. Charities and community kitchens often need extra hands in the holiday weeks. Contact the organisation directly and ask what they need.
- Language exchanges and classes. Check whether your regular group is running and when it stops for the holidays.
- Your coworking space. Ask whether it hosts a holiday lunch or stays open on 24 December. Our coworking guide explains what to ask a space before you rely on it.
- Hosting a small dinner. Inviting two or three people is easier than finding an event. Anyone else who is alone will probably say yes.
Our guide to making friends while traveling solo goes deeper on where to meet people, and the safety points in our loneliness guide apply to holiday invitations as well. Meet in public places the first time and tell someone where you are going.
Calls home: make them easier
Many people say video calls with family help, and we found no research on how much. A few practical points make them less awkward. Agree on a specific time instead of “sometime on the day”. Keep a backup contact route in case the connection fails. And tell people what you want from the call, such as a longer chat, a look at the table or just company while you cook.
If the holidays are hard because of grief or a family conflict, a call may bring that up. It is fine to shorten it or schedule a call for the day after. Our guide to deciding whether to stop being a digital nomad covers the bigger question of whether life on the road still fits, which often comes up at this time of year.
When it is more than a hard holiday
Many people feel low around the holidays and recover afterwards. Contact a doctor or a qualified professional if the low mood lasts for weeks, if you lose interest in things you usually enjoy, if sleep or appetite change a lot, if work becomes hard or if you feel hopeless. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, contact emergency services or a crisis line straight away. You do not need to wait for a particular threshold.
- United States: the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers free, confidential support by call, text or chat, 24 hours a day. The page does not say whether it works from outside the United States.
- United Kingdom: Samaritans lists a free 24-hour helpline on 116 123. The page does not say whether you can reach it from abroad.
- Anywhere else: look up the crisis line and emergency number for the country you are in on its health ministry website, and save them in your phone before the holidays.
Our guides on finding therapy abroad, burnout and winter blues abroad explain further options.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to feel lonely at Christmas abroad?
Yes, many people do. WHO reports that about 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected by loneliness, and the holidays can sharpen the feeling when traditions happen elsewhere. A hard day does not mean something is wrong with you or your choices.
What can I do on Christmas Day if I am alone?
Plan the day with fixed points: time outdoors in the morning, a proper meal, a live conversation with someone, an afternoon activity and an evening anchor. Check opening hours in advance, because many places close or reduce hours.
Should I travel home for the holidays?
It depends on how much you miss home, what a short trip costs in money and time, and what your visa or work rules allow. Weigh the effort against what you want from the visit. If a trip is not possible, a planned stay somewhere settled with a few activities usually beats moving around at the last minute.
How do I find other people to spend the holidays with?
Ask your coworking space, language exchange or class what is on. Look in local community and nomad groups for meals and potlucks, offer to volunteer, or host a small dinner and invite a few people. Contact organisers early in December, because plans fill up.
When should I speak to a professional?
When a low mood lasts for weeks, interest in usual activities fades, sleep or appetite change a lot, work suffers or you feel hopeless. Contact emergency services or a crisis line immediately if you have thoughts of harming yourself.
Sources
- World Health Organization, “Social connection linked to improved health and reduced risk of early death”, news release, 30 June 2025. who.int. Accessed October 2026.
- National Institute of Mental Health (US), “Seasonal Affective Disorder”, revised 2023. nimh.nih.gov. Accessed October 2026.
- National Health Service (UK), “Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)”, last reviewed 17 December 2025. nhs.uk. Accessed October 2026.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org. Accessed October 2026.
- Samaritans, “Contact a Samaritan”. samaritans.org. Accessed October 2026.
- Expat and insurer guides on Christmas abroad (William Russell, Expat.com, Freaking Nomads) were read as leads for common advice. They are commercial or informal pages and are not used as evidence. Accessed October 2026.
Last reviewed: October 2026. This article is general information, not medical or mental health advice. Holiday opening hours, helplines and travel rules change, so check current details before you rely on them, and speak to a qualified professional if you are struggling.
