As the countdown to the holiday season commences, the nights start to draw in and the temperature drops, it can be tempting to retreat from the world and sit out winter in the warmth of the indoors. In more balmy weather, all it takes is the prospect of a day on the beach or a picnic in the park to get us out of the house, but when the trees are bare and the ground is hard, it can be a lot more difficult to find the motivation to get out into nature.

Selflessness is willingly and authentically enhancing someone’s life by meeting their needs, expecting nothing in return – though it’s always a bit of a perk if you get a reward as a byproduct, too. Because being nice is nice (especially over the festive season) – but it’s also scientifically shown (read about it here https://time.com/collection/guide-to-happiness/4070299/secret-to-happiness/) to be one of the best ways to experience happiness – which might explain why it is a central tenet of religions and recovery programmes. Use these strategies to help unleash your altruistic side and boost your wellbeing in the process.

“If we know how to be content, we can relax our endless striving and welcome serenity,” writes Korean-born Buddhist monk Mr Haemin Sunim in his book The Things You Can Only See When You Slow Down.Only then, he continues, we can “enjoy the time we have with the person next to us”, not to mention “make peace with our past” and “let go of our baggage”.

The cultural shift towards a plant-based diet for both ethical and ecological reasons has seen a vegan food revolution and any tired associations with bland lentil stews, hempseeds and dour black bean patties have been left in the past.

As the countdown to the holiday season commences, the nights start to draw in and the temperature drops, it can be tempting to retreat from the world and sit out winter in the warmth of the indoors. In more balmy weather, all it takes is the prospect of a day on the beach or a picnic in the park to get us out of the house, but when the trees are bare and the ground is hard, it can be a lot more difficult to find the motivation to get out into nature.

Selflessness is willingly and authentically enhancing someone’s life by meeting their needs, expecting nothing in return – though it’s always a bit of a perk if you get a reward as a byproduct, too. Because being nice is nice (especially over the festive season) – but it’s also scientifically shown (read about it here https://time.com/collection/guide-to-happiness/4070299/secret-to-happiness/) to be one of the best ways to experience happiness – which might explain why it is a central tenet of religions and recovery programmes. Use these strategies to help unleash your altruistic side and boost your wellbeing in the process.