Actionable Ways to Love Your People
When was the last time you told someone you loved them, showed someone you appreciate them, or sent someone a note of encouragement? It’s so easy to get lost in the busyness of our lives and take the people we love for granted.
I talk a lot about appreciation at work, but it’s really important in our personal lives as well. Keep reading for several tips you can implement today to love on your people.
Show Appreciation
Showing appreciation is especially important in long-term relationships where it can be easy to take for granted the efforts others are making that are worthy of a "thank you". We have to be intentional about noticing the things that have become predictable and expressing appreciation for having our partner around.
In this article, which I loved, Cristina Celis writes about how important appreciation is in relationships and provides practical advice for being more appreciative.
Write a Nice Note
One way to show appreciation to your loved ones is to leave them notes to show you care. You could use sticky notes or miniature cards with envelopes, but did you know you can write on a mirror with a whiteboard marker and it's fully erasable? And a bathroom mirror is the perfect place to leave a note for someone in your household!
Grab a whiteboard marker (any dry erase marker, any color) and leave a little kind note for someone in your home to find.
Be a bit specific if you can. It means a little more to see, "I love watching you play soccer!" than just, "I love you", but don't let perfect be the enemy of the good here.
You can write yourself notes too. Write reminders, affirmations, thoughts you have while brushing your teeth that you don’t want to forget… whatever you’d like.
Go on a Date
We can often get in a rut with the kinds of outings we go on with our significant others, friends, or family. If you’re always going out for dinner and a movie with your partner, or out to brunch with friends, and need some new ideas, my friend, Camille, has an entire website about date night ideas.
These fun activities are great for spending time with a significant other or a group of friends, and there are activities that would be fun for a family date including the kids.
Set Alarms to Stay Present
I love connecting with others. One thing that bugs me is worrying about losing track of time to get to the next thing—maybe I'm grabbing coffee with a friend but need to pick up my daughter from softball practice by a certain time. I hate having to keep peeking at my phone to see what time it is.
If this is you, too, here’s a tip:
Set an alarm for 5-10 minutes before you need to finish up. Tell the person you’re meeting with about this—something like, "I have to go pick up my kids from school at the end of this meeting, but I want to focus on our conversation instead of tracking the time, so I'm going to set the alarm on my phone so I can make sure I don't lose track of time!".
This allows you to stay deeply engaged in the conversation and enjoy yourself while letting technology keep track of time (it’s better at that kind of work than our human brains are anyway).
And so long as you don’t ignore the alarm, you’ll be able to wrap up your conversation and get to your next responsibility on time.
Send a Postcard
Postcards aren’t just for sending from faraway lands to update your loved ones on your adventures. You can send them on birthdays, when someone is grieving, after a new baby is born, or just because it’s Thursday.
And with Postagram, you can send anyone postcards for $2 each (or less), right from your phone!
Personally, I’ve used this to send birthday notes, notes of encouragement, pics of my kids to our extended family, and even a group picture of my work team to everyone's homes during the pandemic when we were missing being in-person together.
Open this link from your smartphone and download the free Postagram app. Then, you can start sending postcards to anyone (for about $2 each) to brighten their day. You can add your own photos, pick from various designs, and even schedule the day you want it to arrive!
These little thoughtful notes can go a long way in cheering someone up.
Want more tips?
If you’d like more tips like these, my popular Friday Five Newsletter is the best place to get them every week!
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About The Author
Jessica Eastman Stewart is a consultant, workshop facilitator, and podcast guest expert. She teaches busy professionals how to get more organized at home and at work so they can stop feeling worn out and start living a Joyfully Managed Life! Thousands of readers drop everything when her weekly newsletter, The Friday Five, arrives in their inbox. Every Friday, you’ll get FIVE amazing tips to help life feel INSTANTLY more joyful and easy!
