Simplify the Holidays

Why has this season become about buying a lot of stuff?  Don’t get me wrong, I believe that having things that make life more easeful and enjoyable is a good thing but we all know that our self-worth and true happiness does not depend on the things we own.  Again and again studies show that having more stuff actually lowers our life satisfaction while spending time with friends, loved ones, and in nature increases our day to day pleasure and well-being.

The Center for a New American Dream has some great suggestions to simplify the holidays. Here are just a few, but you can see more and take the “Beyond Consumerism Challenge” HERE

• GIVE THE GIFT OF TIME by creating your own gift card for a service (e.g., babysitting, carwashing, petsitting, chores, making dinner, organizing an outing).
• GIVE A HANDMADE GIFT like a memoir of cherished memories with that person, a book of family recipes, a collage of pictures and mementos, or a calendar filled with the birthdays and anniversaries of friends and family.
• OFFER TO TEACH A SKILL YOU POSSESS (e.g., knitting, photography, computer skills, financial planning, a foreign language, music lessons, canning tomatoes, cooking a favorite recipe).
• CONSIDER LESS GIMMICKY, LESS COMMERCIAL GIFTS for children, such as arts/crafts supplies, books, a magnifying glass, or building blocks.
• CREATE A PAPERLESS HOLIDAY LETTER on the computer and email it to friends and family. If you do send cards by mail, make your own cards or buy cards made from 100% recycled materials.
• SHOP FOR USED ITEMS for all or most of your holiday gifts (e.g., local thrift store, Craigslist, Freecycle, used products on Amazon or eBay).
• GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY by preparing care packages for the homeless, or volunteering at an organization to help those in need during the holiday season.
• ADOPT A “LESS IS MORE” ATTITUDE toward holiday decorating. Opt for natural trimmings such as clippings from local evergreens and holly bushes.
• SAVE PAPER by wrapping gifts in newspaper comics, junk mail, paper bags decorated with markers, old maps, phone books, or other reused paper.
• PREPARE YOUR HOLIDAY MEALS with as many seasonal, locally grown, and/or organic foods as possible.

Check out this great video from the Center for a New American Dream.  Together we can build a life that expresses our intrinsic values.