This is the first year I’ve decided to spend New Year’s Eve alone, and it’s one of the healthiest decisions I’ve made in 2018. Before I get into why I’m spending the night alone, let’s talk about you. If you’re spending New Year’s Eve alone, I want you to know that it’s perfectly okay. It doesn’t matter why you’re spending this hyped-up holiday at home by yourself, because plenty of people are choosing to do the exact same thing, and everyone has a different reason.

The woman who had a really rough 2018 needs a quiet evening to reflect, write in her journal, and figure out where she went wrong so that 2019 can be better. It’s worth giving up a fancy NYE party to find that kind of clarity. Amen, sista.

The popular girl with more friends than she can count is spending New Year’s Eve alone because she just needs some time to herself. She might even pretend she’s not feeling well to escape the big night that would otherwise be ahead of her.

The heartbroken man who is recently single can’t stand the idea of going to his brother’s New Year’s Eve party anymore, because everyone there will be coupled up. He’s not ready to go public with his newly single status quite yet – he just needs more time.

The financially irresponsible girl who can barely make rent on January 1^st is feeling so stressed about money that she has decided she could at least be responsible by staying in (and spending zero dollars) tonight, on New Year’s Eve. It’s a good start, babe.

The socially awkward guy with an anxiety disorder has a tough time making friends, and he was not invited to any New Year’s Eve parties. He may think he’s spending this holiday alone because he doesn’t have another option, but he needs to realize that there are benefits that will come with spending some quality time with himself tonight.

The girl who has been hiding her depression and faking being well is sick of pretending. New Year’s Eve is one of the most difficult nights to hide your depression because it’s supposed to be a celebration. At least at home, alone, she doesn’t have to pretend to be someone she’s not. She can be herself. And isn’t that a great way to go into 2019?

There are plenty of bartenders, coat check girls and servers who are spending their New Year’s Eve working, because they know tips will be especially good on this holiday. They may not be alone at work, but they feel alone, especially if they’re hanging someone’s coat at midnight.

These are only a few of the countless reasons why someone might spend New Year’s Eve alone. The above examples may or may not resonate with you, but these examples are all true stories from real people, and these stories are proof of how common it is to choose to be alone.

I want you to know that it’s okay to feel sad about spending New Year’s Eve alone, but you should try your best to feel good about it. We tend to feel sad because it’s a holiday many people spend with friends or with loved ones, and we can therefore feel lonely or out-of-place when we are alone on New Year’s Eve. Choosing to give yourself a night alone, however, can be a very healthy and beneficial decision. One day, years from now, perhaps you’ll have a very special New Year’s Eve with a very special person. There will be a magical night ahead of you and a kiss at midnight from the love of your life. Until then, it’s ok to be by yourself.

I feel good about my decision to spend the night alone, especially as I look around my bedroom while I write this article. It could use some tidying up. I don’t want to go into 2019 with a messy bedroom or a messy apartment. That would be a terrible way to go into 2019, in a messy head space. I would much rather spend the evening cleaning up my place than being out at my friend’s party where I can’t expect much more than major PDA from happy couples on my right, and alarming amounts of binge drinking on my left.

My other options include an ex who claims to want me back, but we both know he’s just lonely on New Year’s Eve – and a bar hopping night that even the 21-year-old me wouldn’t be interested in.

Meanwhile, here in my bedroom, I have an Endy mattress that I haven’t even opened yet. It’s one of the most comfortable mattresses in the world and it’s been sitting in my bedroom, still in the box, for weeks. Yes, it might take some time to take the bedding off my bed, lug my old mattress out of the way, and open up that brand new Canadian-made Endy mattress, but doesn’t the 2019 me deserve a comfy new mattress? I’m so aware of my own flaws, even as I write this article. I described a simple task as a tedious event just now. It would be so simple to take the bedding off of my bed, get rid of the old mattress and unbox the new one. I pretend task are more time-consuming than they really are as a way of justifying my own procrastination. Anyone who has watched one of Endy’s unboxing videos knows that it’s not a difficult task.

I’m tired of being a procrastinator when it comes to tasks I need to accomplish for the growth of my personal business. I get down on myself when I procrastinate, I even wrote an article about why it’s the root of all my stress, and this is definitely something I need to work on in 2019. I need to reflect on some mistakes I made in 2018 so that I’m ready for 2019, and I guess I procrastinated doing that, but I’m doing it right now. So, here’s to cleaning my apartment tonight – while reflecting – and jumping into my new Endy bed. I’m going into 2019 with a vision of who I want to be, and I hope whatever vision you have for your 2019 is finally clear.