Part of living a healthy lifestyle—at least for me—is making sure that I’m happy with myself as a person. That might sound totally corny, but it’s the truth. So often we focus on wellness practices as only physical and mental wellbeing, but nurturing the soul is just as important. I try to do things that make me feel decent as a human being all year, but the holidays are when I amp up the focus. One way I do that is through charities.

It’s the happiest time of year for a lot of us, but there are many less fortunate people living without Christmas lists, holiday parties, and presents. I think it’s crucial to remember those people—year-round, but especially during this season. It’s easy to get wrapped up in what we’re asking for, and I can be guilty of being selfish in this way, so stopping to think of ways to provide for others is refreshing.

Challenge: Give to someone less fortunate

Here are a few ways to do that:

1. Volunteer: To get even further past the idea of giving monetary items, time is sometimes just as valuable. Spending time at a homeless shelter to simply listen to people, or signing up for a session of serving Christmas dinner is wonderful. Visiting a children’s hospital or old folks home (especially for people whose families live far) to sing carols or read books is a precious way to honor the holiday spirit.
2. Donate: We all have closets full of things we don’t need or use, so giving things away is kind and good for clutter. Instead of throwing everything into a bag for Goodwill, I like to take extra time to separate charities. Skirts, blouses, slacks, etc. are helpful for organizations providing interview or workplace outfits, and I also like to pick out certain pieces for a single mom’s shelter. The rest goes to Goodwill.
3. Feed: Thousands of people go hungry—right in our own cities—so providing a meal to people on the streets, a youth shelter, etc. is a lovely way to show that you care. I’ve heard great things about this organization as well.
4. Shop: Amazon offers a cool service—Amazon Smile—that basically lets you donate while shopping. When you sign up, you pick from their huge list of charities and then .5% of your purchase goes to that said charity. It’s obviously amazing during the holiday season while you’re shopping more, but it makes me feel good that I’m doing a little something all year by being enrolled.

Please share if you’ve already completed this challenge! And if not, do you plan to?