Want to feel good over the holiday season without paying a fortune? There are plenty of ways to get the warm and cozy feeling that makes us feel good about ourselves. Sometimes they make others feel good, too. They're the simple pleasures in life, and they make a huge impact in comparison to their size.
- Help a stranger.
Whether it's helping someone reach a top shelf in the grocery store or carrying a package for mom with her hands already full, helping someone you don't know is a good thing to do.
- Donate something you don't use.
Ask a charity or church what it needs. Are they looking for winter coats? Do you have one you rarely wear?
- Download your favorite song.
It costs about a dollar, but it's worth the great feeling you have listening to it.
- Bake something simple, and don't worry about the mess.
Invite the kids into the kitchen to make rice crispy treats or cookies and make a rule that you won't worry about the mess until you're finished. Let the flour fall and the sprinkles roll without reprimand.
- Write on your car windows with shoe polish or a window marker.
It's so much fun; it's so childish, and it's so cheap. Leave for vacation with a travel mantra on the rear window, write the passengers' names on the windows before going shopping, or cheer on your favorite team.
- Chase the dog.
Assuming you have a dog and assuming he's young enough to play, chase him. Let your guard down and play "chase the puppy" around the house like there's no tomorrow. You'll feel great, and he'll love it.
- Dance like a fool.
Put on some fun party tunes, push back the coffee table, and let your inhibitions go.
- Make a paper chain.
Cut strips of paper and make an old-fashioned paper chain to hang over your doorway or on your mantle. Write sweet messages on each link of the chain.
- Replace your boring blue or black pen with a colorful pen.
Unless you're completing important paperwork, balance your checkbook with a purple pen or jot down your grocery list with some green ink.
- Burn a candle.
The aromatherapy of a candle can relax you and make your home more welcome.
- Park far away from your destination.
Get some extra walking in your day. You'll feel better at the end of the day because of it.
- Give yourself a foot rub.
Get some lotion and work your way from your toes through your heel, pushing into the bottom of your foot and massaging the muscles of your foot. Soak those toes in a basin of warm water afterwards to rejuvenate your tired feet.
- Look through old photos.
You don't have to organize them. Just enjoy them.
- Put fresh flowers on the table.
Purchase a small bunch of flowers at the grocery store and add them to your table or countertop.
- Nestle in a comfy chair and read a good book.
Whether it's an indulgent romance or a hard-hitting thriller.
