5 Ways That Giving Boosts Your Spirits During the Holidays

The holiday season is here again and for many of us, the holidays are not just a time for celebration but for giving to others. This year, though, it seems that there will be a whole lot less of both these things. With the social isolation, pervasive feelings of loss, and the massive financial hardship associated with the pandemic, we’ve had to re-imagine the holidays this year.

Giving makes us happier than receiving:

We all have heard – and studies have confirmed – that giving makes us happier than receiving, and that volunteering, giving to charity, and helping people in our community can add real value to our lives. Traditionally during the holidays, giving goes way up and people are at their most loving and generous.

Sadly, with the pandemic raging across the globe, giving is down everywhere. Whether it’s because everyone is tightening their belts or because we’re restricted from going out and volunteering, charities are struggling more than ever with a lack of funding and fewer able bodies to help out.

Of course, there are still amazing acts of kindness being done on a daily basis – in the form of people on bikes delivering food to the needy, or kids making homemade greeting cards for seniors alone in care homes. In general, though, charities are struggling.

Giving is down, this year:

In Canada, two-thirds of all the charitable organizations have seen donations drop by almost one-third, while at the same time, the financial hardships brought about by the pandemic are increasing the level of need.

The good news is that even though giving is down and we may not be in a position to donate as much money as we did in the past, there are still many ways that we can be more giving, this holiday season. We can still give of our time, our energy and our skills.

It can be as simple as the woman who sewed masks to distribute to those who couldn’t afford to purchase them, or the wonderful group of people who are going around collecting unused food from restaurants and are distributing the food to charities. When I see these people on the news, the givers seem as happy as the receivers, and that’s the magic of giving.

This year we have the combined stress of the holidays, plus social isolation, financial stress, loss of control and uncertainty about the future – which is why giving is such a good idea right now. I can think of five things that giving can do for you, this holiday season, and these days, we need every boost we can get.

Here are the five ways that being more giving can boost your spirits during the holiday season:

1. Giving provides you with a sense of community:

When you give of your time, energy or skills to those in need, you feel more connected to these people. Giving boosts your sense of empathy and makes it easier to understand someone else’s lived experiences. Often, when you give to others, you’re doing it with a group of like-minded people, and people who give to others make the best kinds of friends.

2. Giving boosts your self-esteem:

When you do good deed, you feel good about yourself. Being kind and generous goes a long way in silencing your “inner critic” and making you feel like a good person. These days, with so much uncertainty, it doesn’t hurt to feel better about yourself.

3. Giving adds meaning and purpose to your life:

With our world irrevocably changed, and day-to-day life almost unrecognizable, compared to just a year ago, it can be deeply reassuring to have something that provides you with a sense of meaning and purpose. Your life is richer and more satisfying, as a result.

4. Giving takes your attention off your own problems:

When you do for others your focus is turned away from yourself and onto others. In this way, giving to others can ease your stress and offer you a sense of perspective. You’re doing less navel-gazing and connecting more to your sense of compassion for others. It’s a much healthier distraction than overeating, drinking to excess or falling down the rabbit hole of online shopping.

5. Giving gives you a sense of empowerment when you’re feeling helpless and out of control:

It’s so difficult to feel confident and secure these days, when nobody knows when this will all be over, or what life will look like, on the other side. We can feel so helpless and powerless at times, but when we give to others we feel empowered. We know that we’re doing something that makes a real difference in other people’s lives, and this helps create a sense of agency at a time when we’re all floundering a bit.

We have to think outside the box:

So, think outside the box and try to come up with your own way to give, this holiday season. Or look online for inspiration from all the amazing ways that people are finding to give, this season.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be a big, grand gesture. It can be as simple as shoveling your elderly neighbour’s sidewalk or calling up your auntie and saying “hi.” Whatever you choose to do, know that you’re going to be helping both them and you at the same time.

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