‘Tis the season to be jolly, folks! And there’s no better way to feel good inside than doing something lovely for those around you, right? Exactly!
Look, I won’t lie, Christmas can be a not-so-great time of the year for some people. So, if you’ve been feeling a little Scroogey this Chrissy, here are some of the ways you can spread joy this festive season. And hey, at the end of the day, it’s going to make you feel amazing, so really, you’re doing something great for yourself.
Donate gifts to a charity
Buy a toy or two for a complete stranger this Christmas — most shopping centres will have collection points for you to leave donations, which makes things easy. Just imagine the look on their little face when they open your gift. If that doesn’t put a smile on your gob, I don’t know what will.
Beyond Chrissy toys, a coupla places that always need a hand are the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Little Dreamers. Fun fact: if you’re doing your usual Christmas run for loved ones, every purchase you make from The Body Shop supports Little Dreamers, so ponder that when you’re mulling over the face scrubs.
Check out the Christmas lights in your area
Grab some mates or your family and make a night of driving around and checking out the houses that have been fully decked out for the festive season.
Organise a Secret Santa
Get a group of friends and organise to do Secret Santa. Set a reasonable price limit and use one of those websites that randomly pick the names for you. The Body Shop has heaps of great gift sets, with some starting from as little as $12 and plenty in the $20-30 range. Is there anything better than receiving beautifully packaged skincare or body products? I don’t know about you, but it’s not something I often buy for myself, but I always love receiving it.
Donate food
Most of us are lucky enough to have a place to go to and (too much) food to eat on Christmas day, but for many this isn’t the case. So, why not donate whatever you can to those who could really use it? Knowing your donation is helping people in need is the perfect pick me up this Christmas season.
Surprise someone special with a gift
Share the joy with someone special in your life by surprising them with a gift. Maybe it’s a friend or even a mentor. Even if you have no idea what to get them — in the scenario, you can’t go wrong with places like The Body Shop, which has something for every person in your life. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love body butter and bath bombs knowing that your coins are helping out their Community Fair Trade programme?
Pay it forward
Pay for the drink for someone behind you at the cafe (or the pub) and watch how excited they get when they find out. Or pay for someone’s meal while in line at the Drive-Thru!
Bake some Christmas cookies
If you’re lucky enough to be working with your colleagues in an office, why not bake up a whole bunch of sweets to share amongst your team and watch how happy they all are when you show them what you’ve made! Or if you’ve got young family members, get them involved, they might not care about the cookies themselves, but they will love the messiness of cooking.
Check in with your neighbours
If you have any elderly neighbours, check in with them and see if they need any help this Christmas. Maybe you could offer to go to the supermarket for them or help them put up a few decorations. Look at you go, you good Samaritan you.
Donate to an animal shelter
Animal shelters often need things like shredded paper, newspapers, towels, blankets, pet beds, pet bowls and more. Contact your local pet shelter and see if there’s anything you can do to help. Some might even let you pet sit or walk the dogs if that’s something you’re interested in!
Organise a Christmas movie marathon
Organise a group of friends or your family to come over and watch all the festive bangers like Love Actually, Elf and Home Alone. Get some themed snacks and drinks, and you’ve got yourself a night of fun with your favourite people.
