Learn: How Not To Be a Scrooge This Season

There are years when we start listening to Christmas carols in October. There are times when we are so excited about the Holidays that our gift shopping is done by the first of December. But then there are years when we feel like we have to drag ourselves to our closest friend’s Christmas parties, gift shopping is painful, and we wish we could skip to January. If you find yourself in the latter category this season, this post is for you.

As someone who has had enough hard Christmases to know how easy is it is to fall into the role of Charles Dickens’ Scrooge, here are 5 ways Not to be a Scrooge this Season:

Serve/Volunteer:

If you feel the symptoms of “Scrooge-itis” coming on early in the Season, start looking for ways to make other people’s Christmas brighter. It may seem the opposite of what you want to do, but when we take our focus off ourselves, “Scrooge-itis” often has a way of going into remission. Look for a program your company sponsors or an opportunity through your church to serve those in need this Holiday Season. If neither of those work for you, call local hospitals, food pantries, soup kitchens, or the Salvation Army.

Wear An Ugly Christmas Sweater:

It is hard to stay grumpy when you or your friends are wearing a lit up Rudolph sweater. If you can, go to or throw an Ugly Christmas Sweater party. Even hold a contest for the most Ugly Sweater. Enjoy all of the horrible creativity found in the Christmas Sweater world, and try to escape what is getting you down for a little while.

Give:

This one can be hard if the relationships in your life feel a little rocky or if giving gifts has become obligatory. But, have you ever given a gift to someone who didn’t expect it? Their responses are often full of wonder and gratitude—and the gifts are often simple. Baking cookies for your neighbor, secretly leaving a $5 gift card on a coworkers desk, or bringing someone coffee can go a long way.

One year, my friend did random acts of kindness everyday for the month of December. She left dollar bills in the dollar bin a target, cleaned off someone’s car after it snowed, brought strangers hot chocolate, and left coins on a vending machine with a note for someone to pick out their favorite snack. Though she didn’t always get to see the look on each person’s face, I am sure there was joy in knowing she blessed them with a surprise.

Donate:

For many of us in the Western World, the gifts we get at Christmas are not ones we need. Often they aren’t even what we want. Some of us even have relatives who send us money because they can’t figure out something to buy us that we don’t already have. So, what if instead of saving all of that money for our next impulse buy, we take some of it and give it to people who really need it. Some places to start may be your local food bank, Salvation Army, or a cause you are passionate about. Here are two organizations, we support:Preemptive Love, and Hope International.

Create a Christmas—Free Zone:

If the Christmas season is especially painful, find a place where you can escape. It could be your bedroom or apartment. Maybe it’s not a space at all but rather a time of day—like the time you spend in your car, driving to and from work. Or it could be while you are working out or before your roommates come home.

But take some time to break away—to listen to regular music, read books that aren’t set around the holidays, or binge watch TV shows. By allowing yourself space to breath, in a season you are finding difficult, you will be able to refuel so you can face all the happy carolers, shoppers, and partiers in your life.