The big holiday season only comes once a year, and it’s during this time that friends and family come together to spread love, cheer, and joy. It’s a time for giving, sharing, and making memories that will last forever. I always look forward to this time of the year, as I’m sure most people do. But it seems like as soon as the next morning comes, it’s back to reality. People go back to work, stress builds back up, and negativity begins to spread again. Why can’t the spirit of the holidays be around all year long? I feel that it can, but we as a society only put aside a few moments out of the year to think about these things because we all simply don’t have the time. But I think we really do have the time, and it would only take a little extra energy to spread the kind of holiday cheer we have during the holidays to others 365 days a year. Here are some things I think we all can do to keep that holiday spirit.

Give, don’t just receive

Many of us take things for granted, and like to receive gifts love and happiness from others more than we give it. And sometimes that’s okay, especially when you may be going through a rough time. But giving back to others can also brighten your mood and make you feel better about yourself. Giving doesn’t have to mean giving a gift either. It can simply be giving someone your time or your attention, giving them love or affection, or giving them something to smile about.

Tell someone you love them

We often forget to tell the people we care about that we love them. I think it’s important to not only tell your family and friends this, but to also show it in different ways. It may be cheesy, but I am definitely a firm believer in actions speaking louder than words.

Make new friends

For many of us, we are lucky that the holidays are filled with extended family and good friends. Some people are so lucky, and may find the holidays to be a lonelier time of the year. Take time to get to know these people in your life and spend some time with them. It might help more than you know, and you could make some lifelong friends in the process.

Spend time with family

Spending time with family isn’t just for the holiday season. We all have busy lives and things that get in the way of taking time off. But it is extremely important to do so all year round. It allows us to create happy memories and new traditions that we can come back to every year.

Love yourself

While it is important to spread love and good feelings to others, it is almost more important to love yourself. Having a positive outlook on your own image, lifestyle, and self is key. If you don’t feel good about yourself, it will be that much harder to send out good feelings to others.

These are just a few basic things anyone can do to spread some good holiday cheer no matter what time of year. This kind of good cheer is something that makes the holidays unique, I think making it something of an everyday tradition could make the world a little bit more of a positive place.