This year has been unusual, to say the least. As we enter a holiday season in which the Covid-19 pandemic has led many of us to forgo the parties and family gatherings that make this time of year special, it can be difficult to feel joyful. Times are certainly tough, and it’s absolutely normal to be sad about missing your loved ones and traditions. But as we often say at JoyPowered®, joy is a choice – you can still find some ways to create a little bit of joy!

Here are some ideas for getting into that joyful holiday spirit:

1. Bake some holiday cookies or other goodies. Keep some for yourself and your household and drop the rest on the porches of your friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers.
2. I know, I know – Zoom fatigue. But if you’re missing your family and friends this season, set up a video call to open your gifts, watch a holiday movie together, or play a game. If you just can’t do another Zoom, text each other pictures of your holiday celebrations.
3. Iceland has a tradition called Jolabokaflod (“Christmas Book Flood”) where they exchange books on Christmas Eve, then everyone reads their new books and drinks hot chocolate. As an introverted book lover, I love this idea. If you’re a reader, too, give it a try with your roommates or family you live with. If you live alone, talk to a friend or family member and plan to ship each other a book and some hot chocolate mix or a mug, then send each other pictures or call them the next day to talk about your books.
4. Take a walk or a drive around your neighborhood to look at the decorations.
5. Start a gratitude journal to remind yourself that you have some good things going in your life. Gratitude has tons of physical and mental benefits!
6. Plan a safe holiday celebration for your team at work. Not sure what to do? Click here for some ideas.
7. Get an advent calendar so you can have a fun surprise every day. There are tons of “grown up” advent calendars out there with things like wine, coffee, or chocolate – do a quick Google search and you’ll probably find one that you’d like!
8. Put on some cozy pajamas and a warm blanket, grab some festive treats, and have a holiday movie night.
9. This season is all about giving, so if you’re able, think about how you can support a charity. Donating money is definitely a pandemic-safe way to give back. You can also find an organization collecting coats, gifts, food, etc. that you can ship to them or drop off to stay risk-free.
10. Send holiday cards to your friends and family – even if you don’t have a fancy, professional family picture to put on them.
11. Plan a Secret Santa exchange with your friends or family. Ship each other gifts and get on Zoom to open them together, or send pictures in a group text.
12. Try something new, since traditions are going by the wayside this year. Maybe make a new recipe, watch a holiday movie you’ve never seen, or read a new book that takes place during the holidays.
13. It can be hard to turn off “work mode” when you work from home and you’re not going anywhere. On your days off, turn off email notifications on your phone, turn on an out of office message, and let your team know you’re unplugging to spend time with your family (or celebrate and recharge, if you’re solo this holiday).
14. Send thank you cards to your friends and family who didn’t see you open their gift.
15. Make a playlist of your favorite holiday songs, or check out Spotify’s holiday playlists to get some new songs into your rotation.
16. Learn about a winter holiday different than yours (like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa if you celebrate Christmas), or about how your holiday is celebrated in another country.
17. Get a candle, wax melt, or oil diffuser with a festive scent like pine or cranberry. Scent is powerful, and it might help you get in the holiday headspace.
18. Exchange recipes with your usual holiday meal crew so you can still have your favorite holiday foods – or if you live close enough, ask everyone to make their dish and leave a portion on the others’ porches for them to enjoy.
19. Text a family member or friend every day and tell them why you’re thankful for them.
20. If it makes it feel like a more special and festive occasion, dress up for the holiday, even if nobody’s going to see you. Alternatively, if dressing up is your least favorite part of the holiday season, take advantage of staying home and wear your cozy clothes, and maybe get a festive sweatshirt or pair of socks.
21. Make a holiday craft, like an ornament, a gingerbread house, or a decoration.
22. Do some self care. Watch your favorite movie or show, reread a book you love, do some exercise, meditate, snuggle your dog – whatever you enjoy doing or whatever makes you feel better. It doesn’t have to be all holidays all the time, and if you’re not feeling festive, don’t feel like you need to force it.

Do you have other ideas for creating holiday joy this year? I’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below.

I hope you have a JoyPowered® holiday season!