Practicing gratitude is always in style, but it’s especially appreciated during the holiday season. During the month of November and December, many of us are focused on planning gatherings, creating lists, gift shopping, all while staying on top of our existing schedules. It can be a stressful time, which is why it’s so important to take a moment to ground yourself and practice gratitude.
In positive psychology research, Harvard Health reports that practicing gratitude is consistently associated with greater happiness. Not only does it help to improve our health, but it also helps us to build stronger relationships. There’s no better time to practice gratitude than during the holidays. Here are 3 inexpensive ways you can show gratitude this holiday season.
1) Plant a Tree Let’s show our beautiful planet some love with One Tree Planted. Your donation will help to reforest lands damaged by record-setting fires, support healthy habitat for iconic biodiversity, and plant tree species that will help reduce future fire impact. Planting one tree only costs $1 USD! You can also surprise your loved ones by donating a tree in their name as well.
Did you know? One Tree Planted also offers custom e-cards as well as updates to track the impact your tree(s) are having on the environment and community!
2) Thank You Notes We’ve become so accustomed to receiving emails and text messages that we’ve forgotten how special it is to create a personal connection through physical notes. Show your appreciation this Christmas with a handwritten thank you note. Whether it be for a co-worker, friend, family member, hair stylist, therapist, or barista. I’m certain they’ll enjoy and appreciate the thoughtful gesture.
3) Donate a Meal The holidays can be a difficult time for many people, especially with the cost of living continuing to rise. If you’re able to this holiday season, consider donating a meal to your community. Many local food banks and animal shelters accept donations of non-perishable food items as well as funds to purchase essential items for those in need.
TIP: The next time you shop for groceries, pick up one or two extra items, such as a bag of pasta or canned soup and leave them at a donation bin. This can be as little as $5. This small gesture makes a huge difference for food banks.
RELATED POST: 6 Ways to Give Back This Holiday Season
Amidst the chaos this holiday season, I hope you find a moment to give thanks and practice gratitude. It’s the perfect time to connect with yourself, each another, and strengthen your connections through simple yet meaningful gestures. What are you grateful for this holiday season? I’d love to hear your thoughts. For more posts relating to the holidays, visit my tag here.
RELATED POST: 4 Reasons to Practice Gratitude
Great post! Thank you notes are so underrated and I always love receiving them, so it’s a great idea to send some out during the holidays.
Yes! The thought behind handwritten notes is so sweet and impactful. Thank you for reading Isabelle!
I so appreciated what you shared about gratitude, it really is such an important mindset to emphasize this time of year and all year long!
I couldn’t agree more! Thank you for reading Heidi!
Oh, I love this! Especially the donate a meal thing 🙂
Lots of love,
Krissi of the marquise diamond
https://themarquisediamond.de/
Thank you for reading Krissi!
I’ve always felt old school with still sending thank you notes. But like you say, it’s good to be gracious. Great post!
It’s such a thoughtful gesture and one that will always be appreciated. Thank you for reading!
These are all great tips for showing gratitude. So many people suffer at the holidays, it’s important to do what we can.
Absolutely Wendy! A small gesture can go a long way. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy your weekend!
These are such great ideas. As a very charitable person I would love to do all of them.
That’s awesome to hear! Thank you for reading!
These are some great ideas to be able to give back and show gratitude. Gratitude is so important as there are so many people in a worse position than ourselves. Thank you for sharing this important message.
Lauren.
I couldn’t agree more! It’s important to lend a hand whenever we can. Thank you for reading Lauren!
Love these ideas, I have got my mum a Woodland Trust gift which plants trees which capture 1 tonne of CO2 in total! This year I have tried to buy more experience gifts than stuff that people might not want. I try to write thank you notes because you’re right, they are so much more personal 🙂 x
Wow, that’s amazing Caroline! That’s another great way to help the planet, I’ll have to check that out. I also love the idea of gifting experiences instead of things as well. It helps to reduce clutter and you can create beautiful memories. Thank you for reading!
I loved reading this post! Showing gratitude at Christmas is so easy and as you say, it doesn’t cost anything! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Yes! It’s the simple gestures that go a long way. Thank you for reading Lucy!
Loved this simple list of three sweet and meaningful ways to show gratitude this holiday season! I have always been a huge fan of writing notes, but I also love the idea of planting a tree and watching its impact grow. 🙂
Thank you Jaya! It’s the simple gestures that go a long way, it shows us that we don’t need to spend a ton to give back. Thank you for reading!
Donating during the holiday season is an important way to give back. We also enjoy writing thank you notes. It’s special and personal.
Agreed, giving back is so important! Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy your weekend!
Great things to do and don’t need a lot of money. I like the idea of donating a meal because it will help people who throw a lot of them.
It’s a great way to give back to the community, especially if we’re in the financial position to do so! Thank you for reading Fransic!
One of the most beautiful things about the holidays for me is taking the opportunity to simply say thanks. The idea of a thank you note can go a long way to show someone you appreciate how much you appreciate them. I love the positivity of this post!
I absolutely agree! A simple thank you goes a long way, especially a personal note to show your appreciation and gratitude. Thank you for reading Jodie!
Thank you notes are something I always try to do (and make a bit of effort when I write them) as I think they have such a thoughtful personal touch. The idea of donating a meal and planting a tree are also really beautiful; something kind and giving which is perfect for this season (and always). Thanks for sharing!
That’s wonderful Molly! The simple effort behind a handwritten note is so thoughtful. Thank you for reading!
Love the idea of planting a tree and helping the planet. I also still send hand written thank you notes.
I’m glad to hear that you still send handwritten notes! They’re so special. Thank you for reading!
Love this post! There are so many ways to show kindness and gratitude during the holiday season, it really doesn’t have to cost a bomb either. These are 3 really lovely things to start with. I’m heading over to One Tree Planted right now!
Absolutely! There are so many inexpensive and simple ways to show gratitude. Thank you for reading and showing your support for One Tree Planted, Jenny!
Lovely post with great, simple ideas. Personally I love a thank you note 😊
Thank you Sarah! There’s beauty behind simplicity. Thanks for reading!
This is such a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing! I will be sharing these ideas with my family so I can teach my girls how to show Gratitude. Thank you.
That’s amazing Marie! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy your weekend!
These are such lovely ideas! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m definitely going to be doing these with the kids.
Claire.X
http://www.clairemac.co.uk
That’s wonderful to hear Claire! Thank you for reading!