Somehow it’s already freaking November and the holidays are going to be here before we know it. I like this time of year (like everyone), but it’s also overwhelming! Between the gifts and the parties and the gift guides and all the things, it’s a lot! So I’m trying to go at this holiday season in a more simple way – doing little by little and starting early. Let’s hope I can actually stick to that, but I’m really going to try!

With that being said, giving back is a huge part of the holiday season. It’s one I could definitely be better at, but I’ll admit that sometimes giving back feels intimidating. But the thing is, it doesn’t have to be! I wanted to start thinking of really small ways to give back – even if you don’t have a bunch of extra time or money to contribute. You can still get into the holiday spirit and help others out! Here’s how…

1. Give your closet a clean out and spend the extra time organizing donations. Instead of taking everything to the Goodwill, look up other options in your town. A lot of your work clothes can be donated to shelters that are helping women get interviews. Or if you have holiday or bridesmaid dresses, there are organizations that donate to teenage girls going to prom. Spread the love!
2. Set up an automatic donation of $10 a month to an organization of your choice. A lot of them have auto-donation services, and it doesn’t feel like such a hefty hit to your bank account this way.
3. If you have a friend who has recently given birth or is going through a rough time, offer to walk their dog a few times a week. Or hire a house cleaner to come to their house. It can be hard to figure out how to help people without them asking for it, but these little things are things everyone would appreciate.
4. Cook a yummy meal and bring it to an area with homeless people. Or to teachers if you have kids in school.
5. Get some friends together and clean up a local park or beach. Then have a picnic or lunch in the cleaned up area!
6. Start composting! As in put compostable items in a bin like this in your home – it’s really environmentally friendly.
7. We all know those people – whether through church or whatever – who are always doing SO much for others. Treat them to a little anonymous self care package. You can include a massage gift card or even something small like a candle and some face masks.
8. Think about what you’re good at – maybe it’s reading, marketing, cooking, whatever, and figure out how you can use your natural talents to help someone. Maybe that means volunteering at a school 1x a week to read with kids or cooking at a shelter or teaching a class to a local high school. I find that this tip makes things less overwhelming – when you can just do what you’re good at!
9. If you’re an animal lover, you can volunteer to foster a dog or cat from a shelter or organization. Think about it – a little extra love in the house over the holidays?!
10. Reach out to local veteran or armed forces organizations to see about hosting a veteran/someone in service for Christmas or Thanksgiving. A lot of these men and women don’t get to go home for the holidays, and it’s a great way to thank them for their service!

OK I’m sure there are hundreds of other ideas but these all feel doable and amazing at the same time! I’d love to know what you’re doing this time of year in terms of giving back!