The glorious rush of December hits the gifting industry hard. I trust this blog finds you with accounts to manage and stock to entice
Christmas shoppers. In the midst of it all, it’s sometimes hard to keep the
Christmas Spirit uppermost in your mind. Here are a few ideas to help:
Don’t just smile at the bell ringer. Giving, even a
token amount is good for the soul. Giving until it hurts is even healthier.
Think of it as your way of paying it forward. When you help someone in a
tangible way, you are offering someone a chance to regain his/her balance. One
day it may be you, and the world finds a way of rewarding its own thoughtful
givers. In another month we’ll be looking at giving Uncle Sam his due, so
remember the value of Charitable giving now.
Don’t rush through the good smells. In every store there will be some scent
that evokes Christmas spirit. It may be fir or pine, reminiscent of trees when
you were a child. It may be some potpourri that invades the air with cinnamon.
Maybe it will be the scent of sugar cookies…but realize that those scents
represent valuable links to your mental health. Researchers found that walking
through a pine forest for just fifteen minutes improved mood and reduced
depression. Just smelling peppermint improves your mental capacity and soothes
an irritable tummy. Editors at Real Simple suggest you take time to focus on the
luscious scents around you and feel better in the process.
Don’t focus on the things. I know, you stock things for a living…but remember that when a person gives a thing, the gift comes with good wishes, love, and a host of intangibles. Those intangibles are the real meaning of Christmas, and you play an important
part in the transmission of good will. Think of yourself as one of Santa’s
elves, and make each arrangement engaging, full of welcome to what may be a
jaded shopper. You may be the person behind the scenes who injects Christmas
into a bleak situation. Many have lost loved ones, and while things don’t
replace that loss, the intangibles of life get attached to them.
Do unplug. Turn off your device and disconnect from
antisocial media. You’ll see the world around you in a whole new light. Instead
of seeing crowds, you may be seeing people, and look for individuals. Offer smiles
like million dollar bills, and watch the joy in an unfamiliar face. Instead of
watching Hallmark Christmas movies, try living one! Go to work and imagine
those around you as cast in a cheesy Christmas flick. You’ll smile a few
private grins, but you’ll feel that familiar Christmas spirit in the process. A
Stanford psychologist suggests this as one of his top four ways
to inject the holidays into your life.
Work is something we appreciate, even if it’s a means to an end…like paying the rent and putting
food on the table…but let work become a more joyful part of your life. You’ll
be healthier, happier, and just might emit a few ho, ho, hos yourself!
