The holidays are a time full of travel, giving, and being surrounded by the ones you love. This season is also a great time to celebrate the many good things that have taken place over the past year. Even though you may have experienced disappointment or setbacks through life’s ups and downs, you still have many things to be thankful for. By reframing our experiences with gratitude, we can experience an emotional state with healing effects. With the holidays being a time of sharing, it’s important that you share this gratitude with those around you so that they too can experience what you’re feeling.
While the holiday season is centered around happiness and joy, sometimes it can be the cause of stress. With this in mind, it is important to remember that everyone could use a little kindness in their day. Here are some ways that you can practice gratitude this holiday season.
Help out
Whether it’s helping clear the plates at dinner, going to the store for the missing ingredient, or cleaning before company arrives, helping out can help relieve some stress for others. It can also help you feel better about making sure you’re doing your part and helping others when they need it.
Be mindful
Similar to helping out is being mindful. A lot of times we tend to put ourselves first and only think about “me.” The holidays are a perfect time to start thinking about others and how you can be mindful of those around you. Whether that’s lending an ear, not overloading someone with tasks, or going the extra mile, your mindfulness will be appreciated and can help others find joy this season.
Volunteer & practice random acts of kindness
Thinking of others and those who may be less fortunate is a great start to spreading joy and gratitude. Volunteering at local organizations can have a greater impact than you may think. One hour of your time can mean a world of difference for an individual or family during this time. Like volunteering, practicing random acts of kindness can go a long way. This can be anything from giving a few dollars to someone in need, paying it forward while getting food, or even just helping carry something for a neighbor.
No matter how big or small the act may be, gratitude can go a long way this season. So, take the extra minute to help someone in need and see how much of an impact it can have.