For those who are lonely and alone, the time around Christmas is particularly hard. Here you will find 24 suggestions on how you can give others a little – or a big – joy.
Regardless of whether it’s after a breakup, after moving to another city, because you’ve lost a loved one, because there’s an argument in the family – or because your social life just isn’t going well: loneliness and isolation are particularly special at Christmas time difficult to cope with. Even small gestures and attentions can bring great joy.
If you still have room for one more person at Christmas, an invitation to join in the celebration is sure to make your eyes light up. For example, foreign students who don’t want to or can’t travel home for the holidays, or people who don’t have a family or can’t celebrate with their family, are happy if they are invited on December 24th, 25th or 26th .
If that’s not possible or you’d rather make someone happy before or after the holidays: We’ve collected ideas on how you can make friends, relatives, neighbors and even complete strangers happy.
Loneliness: This is how you can help
Our tips have a pleasant side effect: they ensure a win-win situation. Because when we do good things for others, it makes us happy.
1. Get some fresh air together: Be attentive and think about who in your neighborhood, among your friends and family, and in your family might be feeling lonely and alone right now. If you like going for walks: Think about who you could encourage to accompany you. As a surprise, pack hot tea in a thermos bottle and a few cookies, then Christmas spirit is guaranteed.
2. Conversations are good: Call someone you’ve wanted to talk to for a long time. And over the good old telephone, not via Skype, Zoom or WhatsApp. This is often more relaxing because you don’t have to constantly check whether your hairstyle is right and the lighting is right. Important: listen carefully and ask questions.
3. A smile works wonders: A small gesture that is far too rarely practiced: Smile friendly at people who come towards you and greet them. For some people you make their day with a simple smile.
4. Greetings by post: If you find something handwritten among all the invoices and advertising mail, it’s great joy. It doesn’t always have to be a long, handwritten letter; a greeting by postcard is also a nice sign that someone is thinking of you.
5. A game evening is an easy way to bring people together. Tip: Games like Taboo or “City, Country, River” can even be played online.
6. Small help, big impact: During the corona pandemic, the willingness to help in the neighborhood was great, now it is time to revive it: relieve older people in the neighborhood from shopping or going to the bakery or pharmacy. Either ring the doorbell, call or hang a piece of paper in the apartment building with your offer. For many people, the opportunity to talk for a few minutes is often more helpful than the actual offer.
7. Christmas packages for children in need: There are various gift campaigns in which personal gifts are packed and collected for children in need. A nice campaign that is often implemented together in kindergartens, daycare centers and schools.
8. Pictures are a nice trip into the past: a small photo album with memories of joint activities is guaranteed to make friends, parents or the godchild happy.
9. Bringing people together: Platforms like Nebenan.de, nextdoor.de or hilf-jetzt.de specialize in bringing people together.
10. Help strangers: Bring a croissant and a coffee to the homeless person you keep seeing in the city and talk to them for a while.
11. Care package for people who are sick at home with flu, RSV or Corona: A package with home-baked cookies, a game that you can play alone (e.g. Gravity Maze, The Negotiator or Friday) or one Book is packed quickly – and makes the recipient very happy.
12. Compliments make you happy: Give a spontaneous (but please honest!) compliment to the people you meet on the way to the garbage can, while walking the dog or in line at the bakery.
13. Social commitment: If you have time left, ask the neighborhood help group, the food bank or another social institution where you can help and get involved. They have all had problems finding enough volunteers since the beginning of the Corona crisis. Here you can find out why volunteering is good for you.
14. Tell about yourself: Tell others about your personal worries and thoughts and then ask the other person how he or she is feeling. This often makes it easier to talk about problems such as loneliness and fears about the future.
15. Play Christ Child. In almost all cities and many communities there are wish tree campaigns that fulfill the wishes of children and young people in need. A quick internet search will help you find one in your area.
16. Cook and eat together. For a cooking date, all you have to do is agree on a recipe and a date in advance and buy all the ingredients. If in doubt, it also works via Skype or Zoom.
17. Help for prisoners: How about a small Christmas present for people who are in prison at Christmas? The “Charity Liberates” initiative helps with the organization.
18. Pay two, give one away: Buy another person a “delayed coffee”. The idea behind it originally comes from Nepal: you buy a coffee for yourself – and pay for a second one, which someone then gives as a gift. These could be, for example, pensioners who have no money left at the end of the month, people who have forgotten their wallet at home or homeless people who are cold. There’s probably a bakery or café near you that’s participating. In some cities the campaign is also called “Spendierbrett”.
19. Blood donation: Go donate blood again. Blood donations are currently rare. Information is available from the blood donation service or the German Red Cross.
20. Greetings at the door: Leave a few cookies or a small flower greeting with a few personal words in front of the door of someone you know is lonely.
21. Watching films together is possible not only in real life, but also in digital life, keyword Watch Party via Amazon or Netflix Party.
22. Spread the word! If you come across an interesting podcast, a clever newspaper comment, an exciting film or a funny book: pass on the tip easily, by email or a quick message on your cell phone.
23. Anticipation is the second best joy: Give away a voucher for a joint event in the new year.
24. Pass things on: When you’re clearing out, think about who you could make happy with all the clothes, books, CDs and things you no longer need.
You can find more tips and information here:
Read more on Techzle\.com:
- Hugging a tree: Why you should try it
- Simply make the most beautiful Christmas presents yourself!
- Loneliness: These are the five biggest risk factors
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