7 Ways to Stay Emotionally Warm This Holiday Season
Holidays can be full of cheer, and fun, but also frustration and tension. It’s important to have tools at your disposal, like learning to set proper boundaries or practicing mindful habits to stay grounded. This list of ways to stay emotionally warm will help you look on the bright side, feel better, and stay positive, even in the face of stress.
Use these 7 tricks and tips to stay open, positive, and emotionally warm this holiday season! Plus, check out the bonus tip for extra points. Learn how to manage emotions in a healthy way and cultivate a better, healthier, and happier version of yourself, one step at a time!
What is Emotional Warmth
Think of your favorite person in the entire world giving you the biggest hug. You’d feel safe, loved, and, well, warm. Being emotionally warm is the person giving the hug. It relates to kindness, love, friendliness, fondness, and sensitivity.
These are qualities we develop as we grow and empathize with other people. It can be practiced and cultivated so that you are able to express more warmth to the people that matter to you and use it as a way to get through difficult situations.
7 Ways to Stay Emotionally Warm During the Holidays
Here are 7 ways to stay emotionally warm! Use the tips during the holidays or in any social scenario in which you want to project kindness and compassion. We are all works in progress hoping for the best.
1. Stay Warm Physically
Wild, I know. However, a study detailed here found that people simply holding something warm were more likely to perceive more emotional warmth in others and behave more kindly towards others. So grab a warm cup of coffee and start being kinder and perceiving others as kinder too!
2. Find the Humor in Mistakes
We are all human, therefore mistakes are hardwired in by default. It’s normal, it’s ok, it’s human. Being kinder and warmer relates to being able to overcome challenges with grace and perspective. Mistakes are bound to happen, our own or that of others, but how we deal with them makes all the difference. The next time something goes wrong, try to find the humor or bright side in it. Like water off a duck’s back, let it roll right off and look for solutions.
3. Reach Out to Others
If you want to be the change you want to see, try reaching out to others both metaphorically and physically. Send a text, call them, or even write a letter to your loved ones to let them know they’re on your mind! If you’re in the same space, give out a hug, a pat on the shoulder, or a handshake. Physical touch can often be grounding and comforting if it’s from someone cherished.
4. Give Thanks Often
Gratitude is a brilliant way to demonstrate emotional warmth towards others. Next time you’re at a reunion, try appreciating more around you and verbally saying thank you! This will help you make a habit out of thanking, appreciating, and counting your blessings, habits that can boost happiness and raise physical wellness.
5. Be Kind to Yourself
Being warm emotionally also means demonstrating that same warmth towards yourself. Practice more warmth by aiming it towards yourself. Treat yourself with respect, kindness, and compassion to boost mental wellness. Here is an easy self-care guide, one for self-respect, and even one for overall wellbeing here!
6. Pay Attention
Being emotionally warm has a lot to do with how closely you pay attention to others. Look for distress cues in others like shifting from one foot to another, and try to make others feel more at ease. Listen more in conversations, and show you’re paying attention by nodding, smiling, and being present with others.
7. Empathize More
Everyone has days where they wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Be compassionate and empathetic towards others, even when it gets hard. Try putting yourself in the shoes of others, listen to what they are saying, and communicate your point of view as well.
Bonus Way to Stay Emotionally Warm: Volunteer
People who volunteer practice more gratitude, tend to be more positive and overall have better mental health. Being warm emotionally means spreading the goodness towards others who could use a hand in life! Volunteer if you have the chance this holiday season and be the change you want to see.
The Takeaway
Being emotionally warm is a habit that takes practice. When we are more warm, we tend to perceive and receive that in others as well. Use these tips to cultivate a habit that is sure to boost mental wellbeing today!
Health comes from within, so eat well, exercise when you can, and take care of your mental health, always. Good habits are the building blocks needed for emotional, mental, and physical health. Take care of your gut health too! Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here.
