Covid turned everything upside down…we’re working from home, connecting on Zoom, and rarely going anywhere. So why not mix things up this holiday season? With an increased lockdown, there’s more reason than ever to get creative and make the holidays more “unique” than ever.

Here are some creative ways some of my clients have cooked up to enjoy the holidays without making food the focus…and even establish new traditions in the process!

• Connection walks: since we can’t all sit around the table talking, eating and drinking for hours (blessing in disguise?), instead, plan walks with individual family members and friends so you can connect 1×1, but stay socially distanced. 
• Send cards: sending holiday cards isn’t a new thing, but this year we have more time to put a little added “spice” into the cards we send. Consider jazzing up your cards with some added bling, through sparkly pens or glue-on glitter, or make your own cards from scratch. Create a collage of photos from trips in the past or write a poem. Since we may not be able to see the people we love in person, the added personal touch of loving words and creativity will touch the hearts of those you care most about. 

• Organize a Zoom party: by now, everyone knows about Zoom, and most depend on it for personal and professional connection. Why not organize a Zoom holiday party, and have people wear their favorite ugly sweater or actually get dressed up for the occasion? Set the time, date and zoom link and even make it festive, using digital invitations from a service like Paperless Post? You can even

• Organize a Secret Santa Gift-giving (long distance): We may not be together physically, but we can still have fun! Organize a Secret Santa project by inviting friends and arranging who each person’s special recipient will be. Set a price for the amount spent on the gift, provide the addresses (let everyone sign up using a google spreadsheet) and voila! You have a new way for people to spread love!

• Gratitude Collage: One client plans on making a collage of all the people and aspects of her life she’s grateful for. What a wonderful way to celebrate the season! And you don’t have to do this alone; it could be a great thing to do over Zoom with friends. The key is, when we focus on the good in our lives, and what we are thankful for, we feel good and we attract even more good. 

There’s no reason we can’t be joyful this season. Like we’ve already been doing in 2020, we just need to “think outside the box” and discover new ways of connecting. Try some of these ideas, and see how much fun and gratitude you can have.

If the corona virus has taught us anything, it’s that we aren’t calling the shots. During every month of 2020 we’ve been forced to surrender our “best-laid plans” and comply with the constant government issued mandates.