Make a point of calling, texting, emailing, or visiting someone with a message of thanks today. Be sure to avoid a mass email; make it a personal and sincere note of gratitude to each individual. Mail a Thanksgiving card (yes, the handwritten kind!) to someone far away, or surprise someone with a call. Resolve to make every day one of giving thanks.
The day before Thanksgiving is often deemed the busiest travel day of the year. This in turn often adds a heap of stress to the day: Worrying about catching connecting flights, having uncongested roads for driving, or even preparing for out of town guests. If this sums up what is ahead for you, consider some de-stressors to help get you through the travel frenzy. Share the responsibility of driving, bring something relaxing for the plane or airport (book, music, a pillow), or pack your favorite snacks for the trip. Staying home? Enjoy the quiet with a good book or meditate! Decide now to keep any work off the agenda for the next day.
If you’re in another part of the world, think of your next big stressful event instead, and do what you can to prepare in advance!
Even on a person’s worst day, there should be something that can put a smile on someone’s face. Some people are gifted storytellers and can recite a humorous anecdote to peals of delight from others. Maybe “Knock-Knock” jokes will turn a frown upside down (the cornier the better). Be careful of audience and setting and avoid offensive/off-color jokes. There are many internet sites with funny content to use. Find yourself a victim (I mean, target audience) and fire away with something funny.
There’s something intriguing about record-breaking achievements from the weird to the awesome. The Guinness Book of World Records has been a library favorite for decades and now a popular website. Where else could one find out how big the largest ice cream cone is (71 scoops) or what the most leaves found on a clover are (56)? Indulge yourself in some bizarre trivia, fascinating feats, and inspiring deeds. Enjoy the incredible Guinness images too!
Organize a modest coat drive at your job or in your neighborhood. Recruit help. Contact local charities for potential organizations who will accept the donations and find out if there are any requirements or restrictions. Organize a date to collect the clothing and promote it through signs, emails, and word of mouth. Help others and get to know your neighbors at the same time. Seem like more than you have time for? Sort out your closet and start a donation pile!
Research skills are valuable whether you are on the job, back to school, or managing a household. There are some helpful ways to hone skills on the internet and Google sets up the practice each day with “A Google a Day”. Sign up to receive a challenging question each day to practice how quickly and efficiently you can find the answer. There are many tips to assist you and you will learn fun bits of information every day.
If you ever really listen to conversations, there is a tendency to be in such a rush to blurt out thoughts that sometimes listening becomes less important than getting that idea out. How many times have you said to someone, “I already told you that”? The next time you engage in dialogue with someone today, pause for a millisecond longer than you normally would and really listen to what is being said to you and respond accordingly. And don’t speak until the other party is finished if you are the chronic interrupter!
The proverbial “bad day” strikes everyone and sometimes without warning. However, ultimately a bad day is all in how a person reacts to it. Have some daily affirmations to bolster those positive energies. These can be goal-related, attitude adjusting, or intervening thoughts that break that path of negativity. For example: “I am the captain of my ship;” “I will allow myself to be angry for a short time, but will move on;” “I will do something good for myself today”. Notice these are all positive in the framing: “I will…” and not “I won’t…” You are a happy person without problems, you say? Then help turn someone else’s bad day around.
Whenever taking a trip, people inevitably “forget” something. Even if your next trip is still a ways off, put some of those easily forgotten items in your bag or suitcase now. Get travel size items if possible for toothpaste, a toothbrush, extra tissues, some band-aids, gum, etc. Throw in a few small plastic bags; these can come in handy for just about anything when traveling. Add travel tags to bags with your name and address now, so you are not “that person” holding up the line at the airport!
Do you know the symptoms of high blood pressure? You might be surprised to know there really are not any, thus the label the “silent killer.” Many people do not even know what their blood pressure is or should be. You do not need a doctor’s appointment to have this checked periodically. Many local pharmacies have blood pressure stations where you can do this for a minimal cost or even free. Check your family history; you may be unaware of family members who suffer from hypertension. And even if you discover your numbers are a little high, ask your doctor or read up on it from credible sources that direct you on what you can do to lower it.