Show kindness this Christmas!
So this Christmas, we decided to do something a little bit different in the office rather than the traditional advent calendars. With one of our biggest focuses at the moment being on mental health at work, we thought it was quite appropriate to do a themed project around this topic. So we got our thinking caps on and came up with a Kindness / Motivational Advent Calendar for the whole of December! We have asked our colleagues to do something “kind” each day at work on the run up to Christmas, and we thought you might want to give it a try too!
Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year for a lot of people, but it can also be one of the darkest and loneliest too. Many people can feel socially isolated at this time of year and it’s important we think about others and not just ourselves. So just a simple smile in the office or the sending of a Christmas card could really make somebody’s day and help lift them! Why don’t you try it at work too?
Here’s some ideas to get you started:-
- Make your boss a cup of tea. Can you tell who came up with this idea?!
- Tell somebody at work they are doing a cracking job – we all love a compliment don’t we and it’s a really simple way of brightening somebody’s day.
- Bring some mince pies into work for your colleagues and make them feel special. Who doesn’t love a mince pie with a nice cuppa?
- Organise a “secret santa” at work – it doesn’t have to cost a lot but can really lift morale in the office, it’s a good laugh and you can even theme the gifts to make it more interesting!
- Invite a few clients in for a festive drink to thank them for their business. You wouldn’t be where you are without them so show them you appreciate them and you care.
- Don’t forget about your temps! Invite them to your Christmas party and send them a Christmas card, they are just as important as your permanent staff.
- Leave a happy note for somebody to find – a funny joke or just some lovely words to make them smile.
- Support local charities or projects. We are supporting the Holiday Hunger campaign that Leeds Community Foundation have just launched. It’s a fantastic cause which aims to enable vulnerable children in Leeds to have access to food, fun activities and learning in the festive season. Check it out and see what you can do to help – http://www.leedscf.org.uk/holiday-hunger/.
- Treat a colleague to a posh coffee from the local café. It’s a good opportunity to catch up with somebody on all the gossip!
- Just a simple smile….to the lady on Reception who you never look at or a “thank you” to somebody that holds the lift for you. It costs nothing and it could brighten somebody’s day!