Happy New Year!

20 Small Ways to Add Big Cheer to 2022

The past two years have been BIG: big shifts, big challenges, big losses. And bigger has not been better.

This New Year, let’s embrace small changes—the easy, gentle, doable changes that can lighten and brighten our days immensely.

The following suggestions apply to all age groups. We are never too old to add new moves. If our hearts are beating, we’re still in the game!

1.  Breathe, on a regular basis.
This may appear basic to the point of banality, but the fact is that many of us tend to hold our breath, particularly when stressed. Regular deep breathing is literally the key to life. Breathe.

2.  Ring an old friend.
You know that close friend from college, the one who made you fall down laughing? So it’s been 20 or 30 years since you last spoke--the Internet makes people easy to find. Find them, call them, let the laughs begin.

3.  Read more novels.
Novels expand our worlds. They entertain us, enthrall us, show us new ways of being. They can transport us all over the universe. And public libraries are free.

 4.  Get your vision checked.
Maybe you’re not reading as much as you used to because you’re feeling a strain. When’s the last time you saw your optician? Life is better with sharper vision.

5.  Wash your windows!
Clean windows make your whole world sparkle. Let the sun shine in!

6.  Watch the leaves fall. The clouds scud. The light change.
Now your windows are clean, you have a prime viewing station. Even if you’re bedbound or confined to a wheelchair, you can look out your window and be immersed in Nature. Breathe.

7.  Wear your favorite outfit. Today.
We all have a favorite dress or tie or beloved piece of jewelry. We love these items so much, we’re saving them for a “special occasion.” Hello! TODAY is a special occasion. Wear those pearls! Today feels more special already.

8.  Buy a hat. Wear the hat.
Not a hat person? How do you know, if you’ve never worn one? A new hat can change your whole perspective. It’s hard to explain; you just have to try it.

9.  Turn down a new street.
While strolling down the street in your new hat, take a right. You’ve passed that lane a hundred times but never explored it. Who knows what you’ll find?

10.  Plant night-blooming jasmine
Plant it outside your newly clean windows. Leave your windows open and let that scent fill your home with natural perfume. Heaven! 

11.  Have an in-depth conversation with a five-year-old.
If you don’t have a five-year-old child of your own, borrow one.  Ask them questions. Listen to their answers. It’s astonishing, how interesting a five-year-old can be.

12.  Adopt a dog.
If you can’t shelter a dog, borrow a neighbor’s dog. Dogs love walks. People love walks. Dogs and people love walks together.

13.  Keep the U.S. Postal Service in business.
Send paper birthday cards. Send paper thank-you notes. Send paper letters. They’re fun to send and fun to receive. Everyone loves getting mail!

14.  Tell people you appreciate them.
Everyone likes to be appreciated. Plus, telling people you appreciate them will make you feel marvelous. Especially if you’re wearing your new hat when you tell them.

15.  Keep current with your apologies.
If you’re pushing your grocery cart down the aisle when you spot a familiar face and feel the sudden urge to flee, you might owe that person an apology. Make the apology, with sincerity, humility and honesty. Win back your freedom.

16.  Splurge.
The tightest budget can stretch to the occasional splurge. Quality coffee beans, freshly baked bread and freshly cut flowers all put the zsa-zsa-zu in life.

17.  Eat more pb & j.
Who isn’t made deliriously happy by a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? (Sugar-free, whole grain versions are available.)

18.  Always wanted to be a natural redhead?
Seize the day. Treat yourself to a professional colorist and let the new you emerge.

19.  Make a list
…Of  all the things you like about yourself—all your best qualities and characteristics—and refer to it often. Some of those qualities might need a tweak. Others you may have nearly forgotten. Remind yourself: you’re fabulous.

20.  Seek out more beauty.
Beauty is everywhere. Sometimes it’s so tiny we nearly miss it. Other times it’s so massive, we forget to appreciate it. Make it your mission to see beauty, feel beauty, absorb beauty. Life is beautiful.

Happy New Year! May you celebrate in wonderfully small ways!