December 21, 2015
10 Ways To Spread Joy This Holiday Season
Share the Merry
As we know, it’s better to give than receive. So, we scoured the Internet for some great ideas to help spread love, joy and cheer all month long. “Share the merry” this holiday season with these 10 ways to spread joy this holiday season.- Volunteer. What better way to spread holiday cheer than to help those less fortunate? Volunteer your time at a soup kitchen, hand out toys to children or, sing carols at your local retirement home. Looking for more ideas? Visit Volunteer Match to see what volunteer opportunities are in your area.
- Send your neighbors a holiday greeting. Encourage neighborhood connections by leaving a small gift or treat on the doorstep of your neighbors’ homes. Leave a note that it is from your family, or keep it as a surprise. Either way, your neighbors will be thrilled, and their hearts filled with joy.
- Give a pet a forever home. Visit your local animal shelter or visit Home 4 The Holidays to find one of 4,000 participating shelters and rescue groups that are helping place animals in forever homes during the holiday season. Don’t have room for a new dog or cat? Consider volunteering at, or donating supplies to your local animal shelter.
- Help the homeless. As the weather gets colder, local homeless shelters get full and often cannot accommodate the needs of the homeless community, leaving many people on the streets in the cold. Donate new or gently used warm coats, mittens, hats and scarves to your local shelter or to a One Warm Coat location near you.
- Hand out candy canes. This is a great one for kids. Buy a box of pre-wrapped candy canes and hand them out to people you run across in your daily life – at the post office, the mall or the coffee shop.
- Lend a helping hand to an elderly neighbor. Is there someone in your neighborhood that may have trouble putting up his or her holiday decorations? Perhaps an elderly neighbor or someone with a disability? Help your neighborhood shine brighter and spread good cheer by offering to put up their decorations for them this year. Building camaraderie brings joy to all!
- Practice gratitude. If you’ve been reading our blog, you know what a big believer in gratitude we are – and the positive scientific changes it has on your brain! What are you grateful for? Is it a person or an experience? Then tell them and share the joy! When you bring your attention to things you are grateful for in your life, your brain actually works better – and everyone gets lifted!
- Treat a friend (or a stranger). Making someone else’s day might just make your own! Surprise a friend with a plate of cookies. Give your mailman a gift certificate. Or when you are in line at Starbucks, pay for a stranger’s order. You won’t believe the positive charge this will give you – like a shot in the heart!
- Create together. Joyful memories are often so much more valuable than another material thing under the tree. Get together with your nieces or nephews for a baking day. Or create a DIY holiday craft with your best friend. Sharing is caring, especially at this time of the year.
- Christmas caroling. It’s a dying tradition, so help to bring it back. Use the universal language of music to share the merry this season with neighbors and friends by Christmas caroling around your block. And then keep the tradition going, year after year!