Wellcure
Wellcure
10:09 AM | 23-12-2019
The end of the year is a season of cheer – Christmas, holidays and New Year. This season of joy is all about social bonding, giving gifts to each other and strengthening family ties. We hope that this article can be your guide in sorting the hassle and pressure of finding new ways of giving and how you can do it differently this year. Read on.
The culture of giving
It is the last week of the year. Soon we’ll be ushering in 2020. How wonderful it would be if all of you took some time off your daily schedules by giving each other something which will be loved and cherished. The giver conveys his warmth and love by the act of giving and the receiver gets the sweet joy upon receiving the gifts.
Different religions in the world have time & again focused on the importance of giving. In Hinduism, the concept of daan goes back to Vedic traditions. It is believed that a daan or charity is a noble action that should be done without any expectation of return. In one of the ancient texts, Vyasa Samhita, it is mentioned that dana depicts the purity of the intentions of the giver. Thus, it is a virtue in itself. In Islam, giving has been considered one of the 5 pillars of religion. ‘Zakat’, an annual donation of 2.5% of one’s assets, is reserved for religious giving. A large number of Muslims across the globe make their ‘Zakat’ payments a vital part of their central faith practice. They also add additional gifts called ‘Sadaka’ to ‘Zakat’; with the primary intention of helping those in need.
When it comes to Sikhism, the Sikhs believe that they can contribute towards the betterment of humanity by offering help to the poor and needy. Their teachings comprise of Vand Chhakna; the giving of charity, Sewa; offering selfless service to the community, Equality; treating all human beings with equal respect, Wealth; gained with honour to benefit others. In the Christian tradition, the act of giving is considered an essential religious practice. Being the children of God, they find it their duty to be generous. They believe that one becomes more loving, compassionate and empathetic by being generous. It adds to positivity in the lives of individuals as well as fosters stronger bonds with people in the community.
In short, giving is a common thread across all religions.
How does giving benefit the giver?
Man is a social animal. He needs social interaction to grow in life; both mentally and spiritually. When a person engages in the act of selfless giving, he feels positive, compassionate and happy. Happy hormones are released by the body in the form of Dopamine, Oxytocin and Serotonin. Mainly, oxytocin is the hormone responsible for feelings related to love, empathy and bonding. The release of this hormone increases the feelings of being loved, appreciated and valued in a person. He/she feels happy and this happiness helps in building better holistic health.
What are some of the unconventional gifting ideas you can adopt?
Gifting need not be only things. You can give it a personal touch by giving something handmade by you, gifting experiences, your time or your skills too.
Why not take the road less travelled this year and try out these unconventional ideas of gifting? Good for you, good for the environment as well.
Eco-friendly products
Multiple home businesses and small scale vendors make many products in a natural and environment-friendly way. Make your gifting experience look like a cakewalk by visiting websites like:
Add ‘Green’ to others’ lives – From house plant or bonsai, gardening kit to home-made cleaners, composting pots: take a new route when gifting this year! You can also gift home-grown herbs, micro-greens kit and seeds packets.
Donate experiences – Ditch the usual ways of gifting and instead arrange tickets for a health retreat, workshop, cooking demos. You can also offer tickets to a concert, party or a movie. This allows bonding over shared interests too. The events section on Wellcure also has many events you may like to pick out for gifting.
DIY – Nothing replaces the warmth that comes with handmade stuff. Bake a healthy cookie, chocolate cake. Gift your signature chutneys, pickles or preserves to add your personal touch! Knit a shawl or a pair of socks or make a photo album of memories to show that you care.
Gift your time – Time is the most precious thing that you can gift someone. Why not offer to take the load off someone’s shoulders by offering to babysit their kid or walk their dog? You can also help your neighbour, elderly relative or in an old age centre by helping in sorting stuff, shopping for them, cleaning the yard or simply listening to their life stories by spending a lovely evening with them.
Gift your skills – Perhaps you are a lawyer, health coach, graphic designer, teacher etc. You can gift your time teaching your skills to someone really in need and who would be grateful to receive your help.
Ditch the usual wrapping paper by using newspaper or old, colourful pieces of cloth. This eco-friendly packaging can also be decorated with leaves, flower and small branches to add more appeal.
Thank and thank some more!
Contribute to a bigger purpose that we all have in life: share and grow together.
Fire your creativity, give, share and rejoice. Let us know in the comment section below about what you plan to gift or donate in this season of giving!
References:
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Disclaimer: The health journeys, blogs, videos and all other content on Wellcure is for educational purposes only and is not to be considered a ‘medical advice’ ‘prescription’ or a ‘cure’ for diseases. Any specific changes by users, in medication, food & lifestyle, must be done under the guidance of licensed health practitioners. The views expressed by the users are their personal views and Wellcure claims no responsibility for them.
11:42 AM | 26-12-2019
Giving is akin to getting back multifolds in terms of happiness, peace, love
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