Some Floridians want more alone time during the holidays

The holidays are all about spending time with family and friends, but nearly half of Americans say they really want more alone time during the holiday.

WINK News reporter Camila Pereria asked Floridians: What do the holidays mean to you?

“Family and gathering and just spending time together,” said friends Joy Brooks and Sam Luna.

“My daughter’s got four kids. They’re coming in, we’ll have a bunch of gifts for them,” said locals Ryan, Cheryl and Reese

As for Jennifer McNeil, she’s got the Christmas spirit. She’s just choosing to spend it another way.

“It’s gonna be a different story for me. I’ll probably be home. I’ll cook a little dinner and eat it. I might go out and mingle with some neighbors. That’s about it,” said McNeil.

You might be asking: why alone?

“I’m always cooking…so that’s why I’m spending it alone,” said McNeil.

McNeil is not alone in wanting to be alone during the holidays.

A new national survey of 1,000 Americans shows 46% of people say they don’t get enough time alone during the holidays, with 56% saying alone time is beneficial to their mental health.

Licensed mental health counselor Steven Clarke says the numbers don’t shock him.

“No, it doesn’t surprise me at all, actually,” said Clarke. “I’m hearing that from my own clients right here in Fort Myers. People are mentally exhausted, physically exhausted, emotionally exhausted, financially exhausted, and they just wanted something quieter, a little more peaceful.”

As the holidays are supposed to be merry and bright, some find those findings hard to believe.

“Hearing that surprises me a little bit,” said Ryan, Cheryl and Reese.

“That’s…I don’t know. That’s sad to me. I feel I know a lot of the times the holidays can be really lonely for people,” said Brooks and Luna.

“But I also understand how sometimes you just need the time alone, and maybe you can just spend the time do it, like just focusing on yourself and doing the things you love.”

That’s exactly what McNeil plans to do.

Watch some TV, have a nice dinner – and that’s ok, Clarke says.

“It’s that expectation that holidays are about family and friends, and if you’re not planning to, you know, go all out with family and friends, that there’s something wrong with you. And I think that that’s very much wrong. We need to, we need to normalize that. If you want to be alone, then okay, there’s nothing wrong with that,” said Clarke.

So don’t worry Miss Mcneil, you’re not being a Grinch on Christmas for wanting to spend the holidays alone. It just means you want some peace and quiet this season.