Ten Ways to Show Kindness During the Holidays
As a single woman living halfway across the country from my family I am overfilled with gratitude at the kindness and thoughtfulness that my community of friends constantly shows me. I often spend the holidays invited in by friends. Holidays are joyous occasions filled with delight, generosity, thankfulness and kindness! Holidays can also be lonely, stir up grief and even become a source of anxiety.
During the holidays finding ways to show kindness can be just the thing to warm a heart and spread the love!
RELATED: Simple Acts of Kindness to Bring Joy During the Holidays
Ten Ways to Show Kindness During the Holidays
Invite someone to share dinner with you. During this time of year, look for singles, widows and widowers, college students and the elderly who would appreciate joining you at your table.
Drop off a meal or a basket full of ingredients for a meal to a family in need.
Show Up with a Hot Beverage
Stop by someone’s work with their favorite holiday drink or treat from the local coffee shop.
Bring a carafe of coffee to your local police station, fire station or hospital and drop it off at the front desk.
Bake Goodies
Fill tins with sugar cookies or an assortment of baked (or even bought) goods. Share yummy baked goodies with friends, family, and neighbors. Drop off a tin and write a note filled with cheer!
Send Handwritten Notes
Write out a few cards or notes and tell people why you appreciate and love them! Nothing warms the heart like an authentic compliment or two. Leave a kind note on a stranger’s windshield. Someone did this for me once and it made my day!
Pay the Bill
Pay for someone’s groceries, gas, drive thru order or coffee behind you in line.
Out to eat? Secretly pay for someone else’s meal at a restaurant.
Donate to a Good Cause
Find an organization or cause to give to. Non-profits, charities and churches do a lot of ministry during the holidays and can always put the donations to good use.
Volunteer
Sign up to serve food at a food kitchen, pack shoeboxes with Operation Christmas Child or research needs in your community to give back.
Do Yard Work or Chores
Brighten your neighbor’s day by mowing their lawn, raking leaves or shoveling snow off of their driveway.
Offer to Babysit
Watch kids for free for a young couple or single parent so they can do Holiday shopping, have a date night, run errands or have an evening to do whatever they want.
Visit a Nursing Home
Ask at the front desk who doesn’t receive visitors and pay them a visit, read them a book or both. Bring flowers to cheer someone up.
Gather a group and go caroling at a local nursing home! Hand out Christmas cards filled with Christmas wishes as you go.
With these ten ways to show kindness during the holidays you’ll be spreading a whole lot of cheer. Of course these ideas don’t have to be limited to Holidays and Christmas time! Kindness can and should be practiced all year round, shouldn’t it?! Looking for more ways to show kindness? I have 45 simple ideas to get you started.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas season! How do you show kindness during the Holidays?
xoxo Naomi
