10 Creative Ideas to Help You Enjoy the Holidays (Natasha)

While the holidays can be the best time of the year for many people, others have trouble getting through them. But you don’t have to allow negativity to ruin your days. In fact, you can enjoy Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s and almost every day if you find ways to be positive. This year, consider giving one or more of these creative ideas a try.

Make a Craft

If you have fidgety hands or are only bored, making a craft can be a way to distract yourself. You can find original craft kits for kids or adults by going to Etsy.com. Try making embroidery, string art, a miniature library bookstore, moss wall art, a scarf or anything else you’d like to make. Another idea is to make holiday ornaments to hang on a Christmas tree. Alternatively, if you celebrate other holidays such as Hanukkah, then think of making ornaments for these special occasions.

Read a Holiday-Themed Book

Reading can be an exciting way to use your imagination to escape reality. You can read a holiday-themed book to motivate you to enjoy the holidays more. The genre you choose can be romance, mystery, fantasy or something else. Classic holiday books you might like are A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann and The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski, among others. Use your book to travel to another world, meet unique characters and gain valuable knowledge.

Give Handmade Gifts

Since receiving a handmade gift can be more meaningful than getting a store-bought item, you might want to consider making your gifts. Additionally, you can use your own creative ideas to make something personal and unique for a family member or friend. Ideas for handmade gifts for Christmas are Christmas cutout candles, a Santa ornament, a snow globe, gingerbread fudge, fabric covered Christmas tree ornaments, salt dough ornaments and others.

Color in a Coloring Book

There are plenty of Christmas and other holiday coloring books for adults and children alike. Coloring can make it easy to get away from the ordinariness of everyday life and explore your imagination through artistic expression. You can also download and print free coloring pages by going online.

Write

Writing can be helpful in relieving stress, improving concentration and cultivating the imagination. You can write down your thoughts in a daily journal, craft a short story or poem, create a blog or do something else that resonates with you. One of the most meaningful ways to use writing is to write letters to those less fortunate. This can be children with cancer, isolated seniors or people with mental health issues.

Have a Sense of Humor

Finding something to laugh at is a great way to forget about your problems. For example, you can head to GoComics.com to read popular comics such as Garfield, Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side and various others. Other ways to have a sense of humor include drawing people you know as cartoon characters, watching comedy movies or telling jokes to loved ones.

Create Art

You don’t have to be a skilled artist to enjoy creating art. To begin with, all you need are a few inexpensive supplies. For instance, you can paint a simple picture with a paintbrush, cup of water, watercolor paint and watercolor paper. An even simpler idea is to use a pencil and paper to doodle. Instead of worrying about creating a perfect masterpiece, just be yourself and delight in the moment.

Bake Holiday Treats

Baking a tasty treat for the holidays can provide you with warmth, joy and comfort. You can bake gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, Christmas tree brownies, Santa hat cupcakes, peppermint bark, melted snowman cookies or other delicious desserts. Moreover, you can ask a friend or a family member to help you or have fun by yourself.

Join a Group

Spending time with a group of people who share your interests can make you feel less lonely and enhance your quality of life. You have the opportunity to make friends and meet new people. Some groups you might like are book clubs, craft clubs, online or local classes, volunteer groups, social media groups and more.

Turn on Inspiring Music

If it’s too quiet where you’re at, turning on your favorite tunes is a smart way to drown out the silence. You can also listen to holiday music to inspire you or find a new song to put on. Turn it up while you do chores around the house, exercise, work or at other times.

Creativity can ease anxiety and stress, boost self-esteem and increase happiness, among plenty of other things. Besides this, it can be fun to express yourself in a healthy manner. Although living with depression, anxiety and other issues can be a challenge, you have the power to overcome these problems. Indeed, committing to improve your situation can be life-changing.