Today I want to share a few ideas to help you Find the Good at Christmastime. I’ve paired each idea with some gift suggestions – these might be good for adding to your own wishlist or for other people.
Christmas can be tough for people for a variety of reasons. But hopefully there’s some way to find some hope or magic somewhere. Recently – rather than festive spirit on the lead-up to Christmas I’ve noticed people becoming more stressed and angry. That doesn’t seem quite right does it? How did we lose our way? I’m sure watching several movies on the Christmas movie channels will help me answer that question and Find the Good at Christmastime!
Tips to Find the Good at Christmastime
1. Embrace the season
I’ve spent festive seasons on both sides of the globe and found that celebrating Christmas in Summer has very different benefits to a Winter Christmas. Wherever you are in the world why not take some time out to enjoy the season?
When we lived in New Zealand we loved making plans to get outside and enjoy the sunshine over the festive season. Since returning to the UK I still like getting outside (away from the stuffy central heating) – I just need more layers!
Gift suggestions to embrace the season
- Books about the seasons such as:
National Trust 2019 Nature Month-by-Month – A Children’s Almanac - Appropriate attire for getting outside (wooly hats and scarfs in winter, sun-hats and suncream in summer)
2. Set the scene
Watching movies and reading books with Christmas themes helps me find my festive spirit. What are your favourite movies and books to indulge in at this time of the year?
Gift suggestions to set the scene
- Christmas movies such as:
Elf, Love Actually and The Holiday - Christmas books such as:
The Christmas Sisters, The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop and, for kids, The Jolly Christmas Postman.
You can find more festive suggestions in my recent Reading Rituals post.
3. Remember self care
The lead-up to Christmas can be crazy busy for a lot of people. It can also be a lonely time. I’m going to make sure I mark out time amongst everything else for myself. As an introvert – I go a little crazy when I have to be social constantly! So part of my self care will be planning days with no interactions other than with my husband and son. We all love a pyjama day and will be planning at least one between Christmas and New Year.
If you’re stuck for Self Care Ideas please have a look at my list – designed to spark ideas that work for you.
Gift suggestions for self care
- This would differ so much depending on the person but how about creating a self care kit? You could create one for a friend or loved one and perhaps gift yourself one this Christmas.
- And new pyjamas might convince someone to take a PJ day!
4. Express gratitude
It’s the days where I struggle most to find and see the good around me that I most need to try! That’s why I keep a Daily Gratitude Journal.
And this is such a great time of the year to start. You can use a blank notebook, the notes app on your phone or add a line to your calendar/diary on a daily basis. To get started why not set yourself a reminder each evening before bed to write down something you are grateful for.
Gift suggestions to express gratitude
- As a HUGE lover of stationery and notebooks I would always suggest giving the gift of a lovely notebook and pen.
- There are some beautiful gratitude journals available. But even a simple, small diary for 2019 with equal space each day for noting down gratitude could work.
5. Help others
Perhaps one of the ways we can find our festive spirit is to help others. It’s easy to get caught up being busy with all the things we must do at this time of year – why not take some time out to do something to help someone else? This could start close to home – offering to help neighbours or family members with shopping or wrapping or what about some of the suggestions below…
Activity suggestions to help others
- Write a Letter to an isolated, elderly person (deadline for sending letters is 14th December)
- Donate to the local food-bank or homeless shelter (it’s best to contact them first to check what items they most need)
- Give a one off donation or set up a monthly donation to a charity close to your heart
- Contact a local charity to see if they need volunteers
6. If need be, hibernate
Hibernating definitely makes it onto my self care list! If you are feeling stressed or too busy – try to take a step back. Plan a cosy evening or hour to just sit and do whatever you like. This is where the Christmas movies, books and self care ideas come in!
Gift suggestions to help you hibernate
- Cosy blankets or scarfs
- Twinkly Lights
- Movies and Books
- A Notepad and pen (I’m fairly certain I could find a way to add stationery under every suggestion!)
7. Reach out
If you’re really struggling and not finding your festive spirit then reach out to others for help. You could make a date with a friend to try some festive hot drinks and cakes. Or send some notes/letters out with your Christmas cards. A text or a phone call to a friend or family member might make you feel better and also make their day too!
Gift suggestions to help you reach out
- A letter writing set to send some old-fashioned mail
- Stamps for posting letters or notes
- A coffee shop gift card to encourage the giftee to meet up for a drink
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I’d love to hear your ideas to Find the Good at Christmastime. Please leave a comment below if you have any suggestions. And what’s on your wishlist this year?
Read More about Finding the Good…
I’ve shared other posts for Finding the Good at various times. You can find all of the posts in this series HERE.
In January I shared some ideas to Survive and Thrive in Winter which may also be useful.