Acts of Kindness to Inspire Your Christmas Spirit

During the holidays, my family is very mindful of donating to charities and supporting community needs. But, I wanted to create something to inspire our family to focus on kindness towards those that we know and those who we don’t know. After many hours with my Cricut machine, I created a Christmas acts of kindness advent calendar. For the past 16 days, we have been taking down one paper ornament at a time to determine the thoughtful act of the day.

I love having this calendar for two reasons: it keeps us accountable to our goal and it builds anticipation with Caleb. He suggested that we hang the paper ornaments on the Christmas tree after each act is completed. It’s such a great idea and will help visualize the positive impact that our family has on others.

Now, you don’t need do a whole craft project to be kind. Below, I’m sharing the list of acts that we’re working to complete. You’ll see that the majority of them can be done for free and others can be done without leaving your home. It’s the perfect list to help you do something for someone else starting now!

Our Christmas Acts of Kindness List

1. Buy someone a cup of coffee
2. Make a gift for our neighbors
3. Support a small business
4. Donate pajamas to a local shelter
5. Write a positive note on the walking trail
6. Leave a generous tip for our server
7. Donate new toys to a family
8. Tell your teachers “Thank You”
9. Invite someone to have hot chocolate
10. Do a chore for another family member
11. Tape a gas gift card to the pump
12. Leave a “Thank You” note for the mailman
13. Donate food items to the food pantry
14. Make a Christmas card for a friend
15. Set the table for dinner
16. Give $10 to someone in the checkout line
17. Put money in the Salvation Army red kettle
18. Write and mail a letter to grandparents
19. Bring candy canes to the librarians
20. Check on a neighbor
21. Make a grateful jar
22. Call a family member
23. Sign up to volunteer as a family
24. Send a care package to brighten someone’s day

The Benefits of Kindness

The Mayo Clinic notes that kindness can benefit both the mind and the body. That warm feeling you experience after helping others can reduce your blood pressure and cortisol, a stress hormone. Being kind also helps cultivating gratitude and combat loneliness. That last part is so important to me. The holidays can be a hard time for so many people. We never know how our actions will impact others, so let’s commit to using our powers for good.

What is one Christmas act of kindness that you will commit to doing today?