30 Days of Thanks

With Thanksgiving and the holiday season right around the corner, it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos the coming weeks may bring. Between parties, gift shopping, and the cold weather, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed! One way to ease the chaos is to practice gratitude each day. Every day for the month of November, think about something you are thankful for, somebody you appreciate, or an experience that somehow improved your day—however small that experience may be. Track your gratitude personally in a journal, or share it with your friends via social media. Each November, Twitter and Instagram are flooded with posts featuring the hashtag “#30daysofthanks”, where users can share the little things in life that they’re thankful for.

Up for a challenge? Here are thirty thoughtful things you can do in November to show others your love, appreciation, and gratitude:

1. Do a secret act of appreciation for a family member
2. Have a low-tech evening with the family, playing board games or reading without cell phones, laptops, or the television to distract you
3. Buy coffee or food for the person behind you in line
4. Leave a generous tip
5. Give a neighbor a helping hand by raking leaves or shoveling snow from their driveway
6. Perform a random act of kindness
7. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or food bank
8. Donate clothing, furniture, household items, and toys to your local thrift store
9. Drive mindfully and carefully
10. Give others the benefit of the doubt
11. Write a note to a solider overseas, or a veteran in your area
12. Return a borrowed item you’ve been using
13. Hold the door for a stranger
14. Write thank-you notes for family members and friends
15. Make someone their favorite meal or a baked treat
16. Go out of your way to help a stranger
17. Feed someone else’s parking meter
18. Send a care package to someone far away
19. Give a stranger a genuine compliment
20. Bring some flowers into work to make the place more cheerful and inviting
21. Call a grandparent or loved one just to say hello
22. Have your child or grandchild write a note to thank their teacher
23. Have everyone at Thanksgiving dinner write down what they are thankful for this year, and what they need to learn to be thankful for. Show the answers at next year’s Thanksgiving—this can become a fun family tradition
24. Leave your postal worker a surprise in the mailbox: a gift card, a letter or some homemade cookies
25. Perform an act of kindness for your significant other: fix the leaky faucet, load and unload the dishwasher, do all the laundry for the day, mow the lawn
26. Spend the day together as a family
27. Watch a movie at home together as a family
28. Try something new: a food, drink, activity
29. Make holiday decorations together as a family
30. Decide on goals for December: do you want to continue the 30 days of gratitude? Maybe you’ll decide to not use your phone as much at home or to cook family dinners every night

Be thankful for the knowledgeable team at Hometown Insurance, here to guide your way to helpful insurance policies that can protect your family. Call us 631-589-0100 or email service@hometowninsurance.com