If you are lacking your festive mood or are wanting to share it with others, here are some ideas how you can spread joy, gift a meaningful gift of heart-warming and life-changing experience, and give hope.

Send joy by mail

Catch recipients by surprise by sending them postcards or small treats that express how much you miss them and appreciate having them in your life.

Start a new tradition

It’s time to start a new holiday tradition:

• Make your own Christmas wreath;
• Knit a sweater for yourself or for someone special;
• Have a morning gratitude walk;
• Analyze your year, acknowledge small wins and reflect on key lessons and set new goals;
• Plant seeds and create your own home garden;
• Bake healthy sweets for people you care about as a token of your appreciation.

Connect with old friends and family members

Restore lost connections, deepen your existing relationships and get the chance to listen more mindfully and talk about the things that matter.

Share a memory moment

Share your favourite festive memories of you and the other person. Set up a virtual call with them or plan an in-person visit and share photos, music and other meaningful stories with a friend or relative.

Explore mindful and sustainable gifting

It’s time to redefine the value of gifting and come up with new ideas of how you can express your love and appreciation.

• Give your time and share your talents. Maybe you can spend some time by teaching your family and friends how to bake a perfect sourdough bread or contribute some recipes for a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe you know how to make a snow globe or a sustainable Christmas tree, and you can create one with your nieces and nephews, or your friends’ children. Think of how you can be of value for your loved ones and spend some quality time together.
• Do gifts with your own hands, give things you no longer need a second life and enjoy the process of artistic creation. Make your own Christmas card, a candle, a soap or festive decorations.
• Create your exclusive wellness box, an emotional first-aid kit, and fill it with things that have helped you stay grounded and resilient this year, and give it to someone special.
• Plant a tree for someone else or propagate your own plants and gift them to friends and family (it’s also a great gift for indoor air purification).
• Regift and gift re-usable products.

The options are infinite.

Give away, donate and help others

• Donate old books, toys, clothes, furniture you no longer need and make someone else happier.
• If you are doing a lot of online shopping, reward your delivery person with a small treat.
• Order or deliver yourself a holiday meal to someone who is living alone and can’t make it to see their family.
• You can even become a secret Santa to a family in need that you know can’t afford Christmas.

Sometimes there is more joy and happiness in giving than receiving.

Be thankful and share your gratitude

Send a card, write a heartfelt letter, text, call, say it out loud or journal about the things you are grateful for.

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This year has taught us to look deep into ourselves and to find other ways to express our love and appreciation. This holiday season may differ from last year’s, yet we believe it can be even more memorable, meaningful and mindful.