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7 Posts That Will up Your Happiness Level This Holiday Season

The last few years I have shared a couple of posts each holiday season about ways to stay connected to ourselves, our integrity, and our authenticity at this time of year. This week, I’ve brought some of these posts together into a collection. Keep reading to learn about fun party games, how to manage the holidays as an introvert, self-care during the winter months, and more!

Christmas party games for people who love personal growththree fun games to play with your nearest and dearest that all have personal growth angle. These party games are awesome for finding out more about friends or acquaintances (and yourself!). They encourage authenticity, self-expression, and most importantly fun.

9 simple suggestions for blissful self-care during winterSelf-care during winter is more important than ever, especially for people who find their mood and sense of well-being are influenced by weather. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the busy-ness of the holiday season, or find yourself in a self-care rut after the new year, here are a few suggestions to reinvigorate your self-care and reconnect with yourself.

Self-compassion exercises for the holiday seasonThe combination of Thanksgiving, holidays, and New Year (and especially the traditions and conventions that come with them) cast a spotlight on baggage we have around money, our “upper limit” of enjoyment, our relationships with other people, our relationship with food, our health, our future goals, and more. So this is the time of year to relate to ourselves from a place of kindness rather than criticism. Here are three exercises that will help you do just that.

You have permission – an important reminder for the holidaysMost of us have many ideas about what the holidays should look like, not to mention the cultural pressure to have a picture-perfect festive season. This post is a list of gentle reminders that it’s OK to do you this holiday season, to honour your energy, your boundaries, and what the holidays represent to you.

Gift ideas for the introspectives in your life: If you’ve yet to finish (or start) your Christmas shopping, here are a few gift ideas for introspectives in your life. All the suggestions in this post are perfect for people who are passionate about personal development, deep thinking and self-reflection (also, gift for yourself? Totally counts!) As a cheeky plug, I would like to suggest my latest book, The Year of You: 365 Journal Writing Prompts for Creative Self-Discovery, as an addition to this list 🙂

An introvert’s guide to enjoying the holidaysThis time of year can be meaningful, fun and a chance to create special memories. At the same time, enjoying the holidays, and its busy social calendar, can be a challenge for those of us on the more introverted end of the energy spectrum. Fellow introverts, I know you feel me! During the holidays, more so than any other time of year, there’s a lot of pressure to be a social butterfly, do all the things and attend all the events. If you’re wondering about making the most of the next few weeks and enjoying the holidays without running out of steam, this post has a few suggestions.

12 fun things to do if you’re alone for the holidaysYou might find yourself alone (or at least feeling alone) during the holidays for many reasons. The emphasis on togetherness during this period can bring home a sense of loneliness and discomfort, which might leave you feeling at a loose end even if—like me—you usually enjoy your solo time. If you’re alone for the holidays, this post has a few suggestions about how you can make the most of having a few free days to spend time with yourself.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash