So some of you are facing Christmas alone for the first time. It sucks. I know. I did this long before it went mainstream. So here are a few tips - an orphan's guide to lonely Christmases.

1. If you were planning to visit/host people and you've had to shift your plans to calls/video chats, space them out. Once you're up and caffeinated, chat with someone. Zoom over lunch/dinner time if you can. Talk to someone to say goodnight.

Having one big call might seem like the way, but the empty space before and after will feel more vast. Talk to different people throughout the day, or the same people repeatedly if need be.

2. Embrace the freedom. You might not have wanted it, but you've got it, so work it. Get up when you want. Go to bed when you want. Nap. Eat only things you like, whenever you like. Spend the whole day playing video games/reading/sipping bellinis in the bath. Cry. Sing.

The year I lost my parents, my boiler broke down on Christmas Eve. I spent most of that Christmas coccooned in blankets, huddled up to a fan heater, playing The Sims and eating Roses, trying to ignore my dead parents' house all around me.

3. Beware the Christmas films and music. All the happy families, righted wrongs, journeys ending in lovers meeting...all that hits different when you're stuck on your own. You might find it comforting, particularly if you synchronise viewing - but if not, bust out something else!

Also only watch Home Alone if you can trust yourself not to booby-trap your home afterwards, and don't make the mistake I made and watch It's a Wonderful Life for the first time if you're lonely and have nobody to call afterwards. REALLY DON'T. Save it for next year.

4. Don't be too proud to admit that you're lonely. You have the advantage of going through this at the same time as a lot of other people. Ask solo pals if they want to form an extended household, or video chat, or go for a distanced walk.

5. Don't feel like there's anything you *should* do. If you'd rather spend the day on your own, no calls, that's allowed. If you want to stay up all night on Christmas Eve and sleep through the day itself, so is that. (Be careful, as poor sleep hygiene is bad for mental health.)

6. If staying off social media will make you feel isolated, do some filtering. Temporarily muting people you know will be with friends and family is fine. They'll never know. Mute all the words you can think of relating to things you don't want to see. You can unmute in January.

7. It sucks, but it will pass. If your family is only a call or a zoom away, I envy you. Make the most of it when you eventually see the. And if you're alone due to bereavement, solidarity. I won't say it gets easier, but you get accustomed to it. And Christmas will be over soon.