The Best Way To Spread Holiday Cheer Is...

 As we make our way into the holiday season, it is very easy to get caught up in our own selfish wants.  As college students, the pressure goes further than simply picking out the perfect gifts for our friends and family. We have a bigger obstacle in the middle of the holiday season….finals week. The pressure of an entire semester boils down to one week. Grades hang in the balance. Caffeine consumption spikes to record levels. Sweat pants and hoodies become the pervasive uniform for college students everywhere. To put it simply, we’re all struggling.  Many of us work retail jobs and experience the stress of working longer hours, dealing with longer lines, and trying to placate grumpier customers.  People allow themselves to be overtaken by the stress of the season. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

We have an entire holiday dedicated to giving thanks, but the next day we bombard the stores, fighting and complaining, seeking life’s finest material goods. If every person applied the concept of Thanksgiving every day, the world would be a much better place.  To combat the stress of this season, transform your attitude in every situation to one of gratitude. When you are feeling overwhelmed during finals, be thankful for the chance the get an education. When you are feeling frustrated waiting in long lines at the store, be thankful for the friends and family you have in your life to buy gifts for.  When braving the long, cold walk to class, be thankful the state isn’t shut down in another Snowpocalypse.

After you fill your own heart with gratitude, it is much easier to spread cheer to those around you. We all have our own struggles. We all need a little more cheer in our lives. We all also have the power to change someone else’s day for the better.  Here are some easy ways we can all spread some cheer this season:

         Smile.  For something so simple, smiling makes a surprisingly big difference. It will reduce your own stress levels, strengthen your immune system, release mood-boosting endorphins, and make you more attractive. Smiling is also contagious, so not only will you do these things for yourself, but you will also cause them to happen for other people.

        Help Someone.  You don’t have to be a superhero. Sometimes even doing something simple and thoughtful for someone you know can make a vast difference. If you have a friend that you know is particularly stressed and will be studying late, bring him coffee. If you know someone who is sick, bring her soup. Sometimes the simple act of asking if someone needs anything is all it takes.  You don’t have to be extreme; just show in some small way that you care.

        Random Acts of Kindness. This could be something as simple as giving an encouraging word to a stranger, or paying for the meal of the car behind you in the drive-through. The internet is full of fun (and inexpensive) ways to help strangers. Taking your mind off of the pressures in your own life and helping someone else is almost guaranteed to make you feel better.

        Connect with old friends. With the increasing presence of social media, it is considerably easier to remain connected to old friends from high school. Something as simple as sending a Facebook message, a text message, or even calling someone on the phone is an easy way to brighten someone’s day. Just the knowledge that you were thinking about them should make them feel good.

        Sing Along. As Buddy the Elf says, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing loud for all to hear.” Christmas music is here. You can’t fight it. As soon as Halloween is over, we are suddenly assaulted with Christmas carols, lights, and trees everywhere. We hear the same few songs over and over from Halloween to December 26^th. You can’t change it, so you might as well sing along. You might find that you secretly like the music you try so hard to avoid.

Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference. Every day you have the opportunity to make the world even a little bit better. When you are feeling overwhelmed in the coming season, remember to be grateful. Remember to think of others. We all struggle. We all need help. We all have the potential to make a difference. As the famous Kid President says:

“You are made from love, to be love, to spread love.

Love is always louder. No matter what.

Even if hate has a blow horn. Love is louder.

 So let your life be loud!”