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Mateo, a former footballer who now runs a youth sports academy, didn’t expect to be spending Christmas alone this year. The breakup happened a few weeks before the holidays, close enough to sting, too late to fix anything.
“At first, I told myself I’d be fine. No drama, no pressure, finally time to enjoy being alone. But as the holidays got closer, I started to panic a bit. You walk into your flat and realise how quiet it really is.”
He smiles a little awkwardly. “She used to fill the place with everything, plants, candles, decorations everywhere. I used to complain she was being annoying. Now I miss it. It’s weird.”
As holidays felt closer, the loneliness hit harder. “I went on dating apps, met a few girls, talked, even went on a couple of dates. But it all felt wrong. When someone new sat on my sofa, I couldn’t stop thinking about her sitting there. It wasn’t sadness exactly, just strange. Empty.”
He pauses. “I thought about hosting a Christmas party, just so I wouldn’t be alone. But everyone’s busy or with their families. And honestly, I didn’t have the energy either.”
He leans back, thoughtful. “We had arguments, sure, but she was a good person. I just didn’t feel in love anymore. I thought breaking up would make me feel free, but instead, I felt lost. My friends told me to take it slow. They said if she and I were meant to be, we’d find our way back, and if not, that’s fine too. They told me to use the time to think carefully and change my environment a bit. I guess they were right.”
So he did. He cleared the shelves, replaced the old plants, and tried to make the flat feel like his again. “I got rid of all the candles she picked and bought a new diffuser I saw online from a brand called Airy Fragrances. I read about it in an article called Suit Your Look. I never really used fragrance before, that was her thing. But I thought, why not start over.”
He laughs lightly. “It sounds silly, but when your space smells new, it feels like a new start. I wanted this place to feel like mine again.”
And actually, he’s right. Psychologists say that changing your environment after a breakup helps your brain detach from emotional memories. Small physical changes, like rearranging furniture or refreshing a scent, send subtle signals to your mind that life is moving forward.
“I think that’s true,” he says. “You can’t even tell what’s changed exactly, but the whole vibe just feels different.”
He looks around his flat, smiling. “I don’t know what I’m doing for Christmas yet. Maybe I’ll stay home. Maybe I’ll go to a pub to watch some sport events. But now I’m thinking, why was I so stressed about being alone? It’s really not a bad thing. I like it now.”
He laughs again, “And honestly, my career’s been going great lately. Maybe that’s the point. Not everything has to happen at once.”
These days, it feels like everyone is rushing to post the perfect Christmas, couples, gatherings, big dinners. Society makes being single sound like something’s wrong with you. But it’s not. Sometimes you’re just at a different stage, with a different kind of peace. You can still feel joy, still create warmth, even alone.
Maybe it’s not about avoiding the silence, but learning how to make it yours.
Note:
This story is based on a real Airy Fragrances customer interview and was photographed at their actual home. Names have been changed for privacy.
Read more real holiday stories at Airy Lounge.
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