SMILES & Breathe: Holidays 2024

Version 18.0

Up to two-thirds of the population experiences loneliness during the Holidays. The prevalence of loneliness during the Holidays ranges from 55-66%.

Self- care / Self- Compassion/ Sleep

Holidays can be very demanding. We all need sleep, even during the holidays. They are also a time to reset the priorities to take care of our self (Please see the Sleep section). While traditions are important, sometimes taking a break from tradition for a year or two helps us appreciate them even more the next time around and be more creative or improvise in the later years.

Meditate/ Mindfulness

Consider deep breathing exercises for 5-10 minutes a day (see the Breathe section). Try the THINK process on your own negative thoughts to dampen the inner monologue (See the Interact with People section). Focus on the here and now and avoid multitasking to be in the present.

 Interact with People

Practicing loving kindness and empathy helps bonding. Holidays can be uncomfortable and tense to varying degrees. Trying to focus on quality over quantity of the interactions; leaning into common interests, purpose, and values aids healthy interactions. Consider connecting with friend/s, or community groups based on a common purpose or interest or service. Letting go of the expectation that the holidays need to be perfect; enjoying them for what they are; and embracing the good, the bad and the ugly helps take the pressure off. It is alright to accept invitations from friends and family even if you do not generally spend much time with outside of the holidays. While the ideas listed below are grouped, please feel free to use the ones that works best for you. Consider the THINK process for holiday party conversations, social media posts and for your own thoughts. Is it True/Helpful/ Inspiring/ Necessary/ Kind?  

Service Around the Holidays

It is the many, little good things done repeatedly that make for a positive change.

Volunteer for something that interests you. There are in-person, flexible and virtual options available.

Contribute to a holiday canned goods drive, holiday clothing drive, holiday food drive, holiday gift drive, holiday toy drive, holiday gift card drive, ethical gift drive.

Volunteer at a local food pantry.

Volunteer your time to deliver food/ turkey/goods to those in nee9d.n

Raise awareness about, raise funds for or volunteer for a cause that interests you: a local non-profit in your town, food insecurity, food waste, domestic abuse, suicide prevention, veterans, animal shelter, children and families in juvenile court and child welfare systems, learning disability, disability, substance abuse, alcohol abuse, cancer, climate, nature Doctors without Borders, homelessness, education, single parents etc.

Organize a holiday themed swap (gift, cookies, clothes, crafts, books) while fundraising for a cause.

Organize a holiday themed potluck dinner or a holiday themed progressive dinner or a movie night at the theater. Maybe combine this with a fundraiser for a common interest while at it.

 Perform in online or in-person music concerts or sing carols for older adults in long term care facilities.

Mow the lawn, rake the leaves, or shovel the driveway of a neighbor or friend.

Organize a holiday party for older adults at a local retirement home or check for opportunities to volunteer through the local senior center or council on aging.

Baby sit a child of a single parent or a new parent so they can catch a break or go do their holiday shopping.

Adopt a family for the holidays.

Do holiday shopping for someone in need.

Organize a school or community wide holiday shop where families can contribute new or gently used items from around the house and kids can shop for inexpensive gifts for their family members.

Wrap presents – check bookstores, gift stores or malls for opportunities to wrap presents with funds supporting a local non-profit.

Make holiday cards for children and adults in the hospital or people in long term care facility who cannot go home.

Write letters of encouragement or thank you letters or send a care package to the troops or veterans.

Send a holiday basket or host an international college student who you know personally and who cannot go home for the holidays.

Cook a meal or bake a treat for the co-worker who is an immigrant or someone who you know that might be lonely.

Write letters to people you love, care givers, essential workers, people who have helped you in any way.

Throw a movie party for children in a shelter.

Donate to or fundraise for the area shelter.

Donate clothing for newborns and preemies in the NICU.

Donate a days’ worth of paycheck to a person in need or to a charity.

Volunteer at the local food pantry or the local animal shelter.

Start or contribute to a Little Free Library or a Little Free Pantry.

Support a local nonprofit.

Help the visually impaired.

Check the local non-profits, town, community, or religious facilities’ pages or calendars or the town newspaper for community events.

Small Acts of Kindness

Impromptu small act of kindness not only makes your day but also makes someone else’s day.

Maya Angelou once said: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

*Hold the door for the person behind. *Let someone merge or turn in front of you in traffic. *Buy coffee for the person in the line behind you. *Leave a nice note on a coworker’s desk. *Leave a water or a snack or a gift card for your mailman or the delivery person. *Drop off groceries. *Simply chat or have a small talk. *Water the neighbor’s plants. *Do one of your roommate’s chores or teammates job. *Bring a treat to work/school club. *Tip the person behind the counter or at the restaurant generously. *Stop and say thanks to the cashier and the person bagging your groceries. *Help a person in need carry their groceries bags. *Check in on or cook a meal for your older neighbor. *Leave a nice note in a library book or for your waiter. *Leave extra money at the office vending machine. *Hide scratch-off lottery tickets for someone to find. *Tape coupons to products at the grocery store. *Say thanks to three people a day and be specific about why you are thankful.

Solo

*Reframing that the Holidays are a good time to reflect and feel connected to your inner self. *Plan ahead. *Tap into your creative side *Consider looking for events in your town (Timeout, TripAdvisor, Yelp etc.) or at work. *Make time to reflect and self-care. *Limit social media. *Rekindle an old talent. *Watch a play or movie. *Go skiing. *Read or reread a book *Try to learn or teach a new hobby online via outlets like skillshare. *Call a friend or someone spending the Holidays by themselves. *Try community service (please see above). *Cope ahead (plan how to cope in advance if things do not go as planned). *Consider doing an exclusive activity that you enjoy and set aside for only his time of the year - that fancy restaurant, puzzles, decorations, special recipes, a comedy series, a book, a trip, a spa, a hike, a special hobby or create your own new tradition. *Kindly refer to the age specific activities as well. 

Family/ Intergenerational

*Make a memory book by cataloging each member’s favorite part of the season from their childhood or younger days (in photos or videos or writing). *Decorate the home or the tree for the holidays together. *Organize a holiday themed swap (cookies, gift, gag-gifts, boardgames, clothes, crafts, books). *Organize a potluck dinner or a progressive dinner or a movie night at the theater. *Decorate a holidays themed dish or an ornament at a local paint your own pottery with your family and add to the set every year. *Make a day trip to a tree farm to pick out the Christmas tree. *Make paper snowflakes. *Pick a holiday-themed book and read. *Travel or play tourist in your own town or travel (Mommypoppins, Timeout, TripAdvisor, viator, yelp etc.).  *Watch the same holiday movie every year and take a photo watching the same movie every year in the same pose. *Play elf on a shelf or mensch on a bench. *Write a letter to Santa or Harry. *Go on a hike on the eve of the celebration. *Each member makes a “Thankful for” card for everyone and opens them on the morning of celebration. *Write riddles to figure out where your gift is hidden or what the gift is or who your gift giver is? *Play holiday Mad Libs or board games. *Have an Elephant swap or a holidays themed sleep over. *Consider community service for a cause. *Plan a Friendsgiving or a Holiday party. *Go restaurant hopping. *Create a funny holiday family/group meme. *Have a sleep over with family and maybe have a theme for each night/day over the holidays (family game night, home movie night, holiday high tea, cocoa and s'mores night, holiday lights tour night). *Organize an Escape Room themed gift hunt. *Go to see holiday lights and vote on your favorite home or street. *Go see the town tree lighting event. *Host an intergenerational holiday party and share your childhood or children’s holiday memories. *Make your childhood recipes. *Play games like tabletopics. *Scavenger hunt for the gifts (make it even fun with riddles). *Interview each other. *Trace your family tree. *Make a family craft to keep every year. *Create a family holiday playlist. *Make a holiday meme. *Write and produce a family holiday skit. *Take a famous song and get creative with the lyrics about your family members and have a family singalong *Make a holiday family vlog to share your holiday memories. *Have a family cookie swap or book share. *Recreate an old holiday photo with the family. *Revamp an old holiday tradition  or Create a new tradition. *Record (audio, video or write) snippets of the current season or short anecdotes of the past holidays or conduct a family holiday interview. *Write holiday themed time-capsule letters for your grandchildren or friends or your future self to open in the future. *Create a new holiday tradition. *Write a “Family holiday Recipe” book *Write a “My Holidays as a Child” booklet where you share your childhood memories of your holiday celebrations. *Write a “My Children’s Childhood Holidays” book. *Look on local websites like Mommypoppins, Timeout, TripAdvisor, viator, yelp etc. for fun things to do. *If there is snow in your area, have a snowball fight, sled, or build a snowman together. Please see the Friends section below as well

Please refer to the intergenerational page for non-Holidays specific ideas.

Friends

Holidays are a great time to catch up with friends- old and new. If connecting in-person is not possible, consider connecting remotely.

Do the usual activities but make them holidays themed.

*Eat *Hike *Ski *Do crafts *Cook *Bake  *Play music *Dance *Go fishing  *Go ice skating  *Have a sing-along  *Watch a game *Go see holiday lights *Go caroling in the community   *Watch a movie or a play or a ballet or a musical or an orchestra performance *Watch a holiday movie or a play *Go to a ballet show *Go donut or restaurant hopping *Plan a Chopped style holiday cook-off   *A holiday potluck where the participants make a holiday themed recipe from cuisines around the world *Plan a latkes or chaat making party or contest *Have a holiday cookie making or ginger bread house making, or popcorn/ roasted chestnuts flavoring party *Plan a Friendsgiving or a holiday party or a progressive dinner for friends *Host a pie swap party: Bring a pie, take a pie, eat a pie. *Create a new type of eggnog or holiday bread *Organize an Escape Room themed gift hunt. *Plan a holiday cookie or book swap *Have a hot cocoa and s'mores night *Plan a gingerbread house decoration event *Attend an ugly sweater party or a gag gift party *Have dreidel tournament *Have a gag gift party and vote for the funniest gag gift *Create a holiday meme *Have a holiday throwback party *Make origami snowflakes or Yoda or craft holiday décor and decorate the home, dorm, or a tree. *Decorate the diyas *Have an Elephant swap or a holidays themed sleep over *Play games- cards, board games, 20 questions, play holiday Charades, holiday Pictionary, cross words *Have a spa day   *Have a friends night out *Go hiking *Run a 5K with friends *Go bowling *Host a holiday karaoke or  a holiday improv *Write funny lyrics to songs you know and have a sing along *Try acapella *Throw a tropical party and do the opposite of what is expected in the season *Debate or discuss (current topics, philosophy, Star Wars, math) *Go see a holiday lights display or the town tree lighting *Plan a high school club reunion *Plan a secret Santa or  a secret Harry *Exchange gifts and write riddles to figure out where your gift is hidden or what the gift is or who your gift giver is  *Explore a museum *Travel or be a tourist in your own town( (Mommypoppins, Timeout, TripAdvisor, viator, yelp etc.) *Go caroling *Give back (please see community service) *Attend the conservatory’s holiday music programs or an opera or an acapella concert *Make and give gifts to neighbors or friends in the community *Plan a holiday themed sleep over *Plan a board game or trivia or holiday Mad Libs tournament. *If there is snow in your area, have a snowball fight, sled, or build a snowman together.

Learn

Holidays are a great time to pause, reflect and check in with our inner self. While most of us do things because they are good, this may be a good time to think and unlearn/ shed the things which may not be helpful or useful to us in the New Year. In this season of giving and love, we all deserve a chance to let go of a few things which may not be bringing us joy.  

Eat/ Exercise

Healthy eating is important during the holidays too.

Exercise even if for a few minutes a day. Please refer to the age exercise section for more information. Make it fun by hiking or planning a group/ family activity such as hiking, skiing.

Silver Linings

Keep a gratitude journal just to help shift the ratio of good to bad. Write one or more things you are grateful for daily.

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Breathe

For 5-10 minutes a day, consider practicing deep breathing exercises.

Website: smilesandbreathe.org Twitter/Instagram @SmilesBreathe.

The content on this website is offered as guidance only and is not to be construed as a replacement for certified, professional expertise. Kindly check with your doctor about the applicability/ appropriateness of things listed on this website for you.