You don’t have to be a scrooge to be completely fed up with Christmas in winter. Every year it seems to get earlier, making it feel like advent alone takes up a period closer to 2 months than 24 days. There’s some kind of perfect irony in the forced consumption of holly jolly Christmas music. There’s nothing shameful about wanting nothing more than to curl up into a big winter ball and hibernate until this all blows over.

If you’re fed up with the Christmas rush, a good solo night in could be a much needed cure. As much as the media warns us to rely less on the Internet and screens to unwind, it is most people’s preferred method, and if you’re having a night totally to yourself, you should be allowed your guilty pleasures.

Having said this, it’s easy to get into repetitive habits and they become boring after a time. The Internet has a huge range of fun to offer, but if you have a go-to online activity you find yourself doing too regularly, consider switching it up. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of great ideas for a chilled one, where you can have just as much fun as you could going out.

Youtube

It’s becoming bigger and more corporate, but there are still millions of independent channels producing great content, from animations to tutorials to comedy. Youtube is a great place to find humour, entertainment or something interesting and new that you didn’t expect yourself ever finding, like an in-depth review of the day in the life of a Deliveroo rider… who knew this was the kind of entertainment we needed in our lives.

Video games or online games

You don’t have to identify as a ‘gamer’ or have a console at all to enjoy online games. However, you may want to look beyond Candy Crush or 8 Ball Pool to be entertained for a whole night in. A good way to get excited by gaming is to play live casino games, as there’s a thrill factor involved when real money is at stake. Don’t let this freak you out, though – bets can be as low as a pound and there are always great offers on. Live roulette is a fun introduction because you watch a table where others are playing so you can see how it’s working out for them before taking any risks yourself. It’s also slightly more interactive than watching a ball spin round and round in normal roulette!

Get Creative

If you’re the type of person who likes to make their chill out a little more involved, then firstly – good on you. As far as advice goes, the world is your oyster. You could print photos, make DIY gifts, write letters or postcards to far-away friends or master cooking a new dish. There are so many recipes out there and some can be really fun, like these pizza breads made with half-baked baguettes, which allow you to get creative, and look delicious too. If all else fails, just make your own popcorn. It’s offensively simple – you’ll be mad you ever bought it at the cinema.

“Homemade Pizza” (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by Josh Koonce

Learn something new – in a lazy way

Podcasts can be a great way to do this for free. There is a massive range and much of it free. For any interest you think is niche, there’s probably a podcast. Meanwhile, apps like Audible bring books to you in the easiest way and there’s a free 30 day trial. Podcasts and audiobooks are a great lazy way to educate yourself and while it’s great to have a chilled night in, it’s even better when you come away with something memorable afterwards.

There you go, a definitive guide to trying something completely obscure and completely unchristmassy for yourself this winter.