It’s no secret that the holidays are not an easy time to be alone. All your friends are probably posting the disgustingly cute pictures of them and their significant others in front of the Christmas tree or under the lights at their local zoo, maybe they even said they would’ve invited you if you had someone to bring along. Your family members probably hit you with something along the lines of “You’re still single?” at the dinner table. You’ve also probably seen enough engagement posts to make you want to never open Facebook again, I know I have. It makes it hard to be joyful and cheery during the holidays, but it could definitely be worse.

It may not be fun being alone for the holidays, but it will always be better than being with someone who isn’t good for you. Dysfunctional relationships seem to be the norm these days so celebrate the fact that you aren’t one of the many people stuck in them! You can also celebrate not being willing to settle just to avoid being alone, because that isn’t any better either. Sure, you can post a picture to your Instagram of you and some mope you don’t like smiling happily in front of a Christmas lights display to make it look like you’re doing great but is it really worth it? It should be more important to be with someone who actually cares about you. If the cute pictures mean that much to you, I’d be willing to bet one of your guy friends would happily go out and pose for pictures with you for some free Chipotle. (Or, ladies, get over yourself and let one of those poor nice guys out of your friend-zone. It may work out better than you’d expect.)

For those of you that need a little encouragement, there are some positives to not being in a relationship for the holidays. For starters, you don’t have to figure out how to divide your time between both families in a way that offends the least amount of people (not an easy task, especially if your significant other isn’t from the same town/state as you). This also means that you have more time to relax and enjoy time with your family to the best of your ability, or at least just spend time dealing with one dysfunctional family instead of two. You get to avoid the hassle of figuring out a meaningful gift for an SO that shows them your love without breaking the bank, and there is no pressure of meeting (and impressing) the extended family of a significant other at their family’s Christmas gathering. Lastly, you won’t have to photoshop anyone out of your family’s holiday photos due to an ended relationship down the road.

Right now, it may feel pretty crappy to be spending the holidays without a boyfriend or girlfriend. When you are finally enjoying those cheesy holiday dates or exchanging gifts by the tree with someone who truly loves you and cares for you, it will be well worth the wait. Also, in the spirit of giving, here is one last tip: just because you are lonely doesn’t mean it is a good idea to find some rando to kiss on NYE, unless of course getting diseases sounds appealing to you. In that case, knock yourself out. Happy Holidays!