It’s the most wonderful time of the year! You can feel it in the air, when taking a deep breath of the crisp, chill air, while bundled in cozy layers, or watching the leaves fall to the ground. Eventually, as the snow begins to drift down, those leaves disappear. There’s not only a shift in the weather and time but also a shift in the energy. We begin to slow down and stay indoors – our own version of hibernation – and reflect on the past months and our loved ones. It’s the time for holiday parties, gift giving with friends and family, and much-anticipated winter vacation. For many, it brings lots of laughter and joy, but, at the same time, it can be very stressful with endless to-do lists filled with items to make the season brighter: decorating, baking, parties, tree trimming, Santa visits, holiday lights, and gifts, gifts, gifts!

And, while the saying “it’s better to give than receive” is absolutely true, it’s tricky in today’s day and age. Sending a thoughtful gift isn’t so simple anymore, as the ripple effect can cause harm to our Earth and its inhabitants. This was recently brilliantly demonstrated on the TV show The Good Place. Ted Danson’s character Michael laments, “These days, just buying a tomato at the grocery store means that you are unwittingly supporting toxic pesticides, exploiting labor, and contributing to global warming. Humans think that they’re making one choice, but they’re actually making dozens of choices they don’t even know they’re making.”

With an increased awareness of how our daily choices impact our planet, it’s time to start making some small and big changes to how we celebrate the holidays. Here are six ways to slow down this holiday season and give Earth the gifts of appreciation and compassion.

1. Opt for experiences over things. I promise you, your child doesn’t need another plastic toy. Heck, you don’t need another plastic contraption. Consumerism is rampant in our modern world. Let’s go back in time, shift to a mindset of less is more, and declutter our homes and minds, one holiday at a time. Instead of possessions, perhaps gift lessons for a hobby someone on your list has expressed interest in, a membership to a museum or zoo, or gift cards to a movie theater or restaurant (or yoga studio!).

2. If you really need to wrap something, think 3 Ls: 

• Local: One of my favorite gifts we get every year from family is food: local, yummy delicacies you can only find in Chicago or Cape Cod or San Francisco. Visit a farmers’ market or craft fair to complete all of your shopping with honey, jams, candles, and soaps galore from local artisans. 
• Long-lasting: You can also make gifts yourself (if you’re crafty) or gift long-lasting gifts, such as a framed photo for the wall or a plant for the living room that will provide greenery for years to come. 
• Letters: Lastly, consider a thoughtful, hand-written letter expressing your heartfelt appreciation and well wishes in the coming year. 

3. Consider cloth wrapping. Although beautiful, that really pretty, shiny gift wrapping paper isn’t recyclable and ends up in a landfill. Instead, you might wrap your gifts (or even just a few!) in cloth bags; for instance, pillowcases, sheets, DIY cloth wraps, etc., or buying gift wrap with no foil, velvet, or glittery details. The best part about converting to cloth is it’s reusable for future gift-giving.

4. Get a hassle-free tree. Did you know you can rent a living, potted, delivered-to-your-door, Christmas tree? You can even reserve the same tree for consecutive seasons and watch how big the tree grows over the years. How fun is that? My family also visits tree farms that allow you to properly cut down your tree, so it continues growing trees for many Christmases to come.

5. Make your menu low impact. Maybe you aren’t ready to say goodbye to the honey-baked ham or stuffed hens, but what if you converted all side dishes to plant-based fare? Sometimes it’s as simple as replacing milk with oat milk, butter with oil, or skipping the cheese altogether. Fake meat alternatives are getting better and better; you might be surprised with how easy it is to make the switch. (Just be careful where you buy your tomatoes.)

6. Go like Greta! If you have to travel far to see family (and don’t have the means or time to take a sailboat or train to offset emissions a-la-Greta Thunberg, who practices what she preaches!), consider making a donation to The Nature Conservancy, which has a goal to plant one billion trees. Or, if you eat and bake a lot with chocolate (cacao is harvested in forests), there are groups, such as Core Borneo, that protect orangutan and forest conservation. Essentially, try to counter a damaging decision, with a positive act and healing intent.

Goodbye to Bah Humbug, and hello to Merry Christmas! Happy Solstice! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! From my family to yours.