Dear YouGiveGoods Community

It seems we've been faced with an onslaught of bad news recently. And, with our attachment to our devices many of us may find ourselves "doomscrolling" in a way that negatively affects our mental health.

So, this month we've decided to share resources to help get back into a positive headspace. We've noticed that just admiring the beautiful fall colors popping up (and falling down) in our neighborhoods puts a little pep in our step for the day. And, if you've got 8 1/2 minutes, we cannot recommend The?Joy Workout?enough. See details and more resources below.

At YouGiveGoods, we're living proof that doing good makes you feel good. With each YouGiveGoods delivery we know that a person in need will be immediately served and uplifted by the tangible show of support.?

In addition to using some of the happiness tools and resources provided here, we encourage you to actively seek out opportunities to do good for others. Every simple act of kindness and large act of generosity compounds to create stronger communities for us all.

If you'd like to get started right away, why not donate a holiday toy to a child in need or help put a holiday meal on the table for a struggling family? Just click to make a purchase: Donate Toys or Donate Food.

As always, thanks for all you do, YouGiveGoods community. Keep on spreading the goodness!

Sincere thanks,

The YouGiveGoods Team

The Joy Workout

Fitting exercise into your day can be challenging but the promise of this unique program is too enticing to ignore: just 8 1/2 minutes of joyful music and 6 simple moves aimed purely at inducing happiness. I mean, it's worth a try, right??Kelly McGonigal, PhD, a psychologist as well as a group exercise instructor, put both areas of expertise to work in the creation of The Joy Workout.

Read more about it in the NY Times article or try The Joy Workout today!?

Have a special message to share? Tag us @YouGiveGoods on?Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter?and we will re-post!

Give Thanks

We're quickly approaching Thanksgiving and while many of us are starting to plan a feast for family and friends, many in the U.S. are not so lucky. According to recent US Census data, roughly 34 million people in the US are food insecure, including 9 million children and 5.5 million seniors.

Learn more about hunger and how you can help?here. Or donate food including holiday turkeys to support Long Islanders facing food insecurity.

Just Breathe.

As we mentioned above, disturbing news in the headlines combined with anxiety surrounding the upcoming holidays have many of us feeling very stressed. Top among the things people are stressing about are affording holiday gifts and meals, finding and buying gifts, impending holiday travel, and spreading or contracting Covid. Whatever is on your menu of worries, studies show the age old adage of "just breathe" really works.

Check out the simple techniques outlined in?4 Breathing Exercises to Ease your Anxiety during Stressful Times as featured on the Today show.?

If the Winklepicker fits...

Fun fact: those pointy shoes we associate with Santa's elves have roots in medieval Europe, Crakows from 15th century Poland, and the more recent Winklepickers style popular in the 1950s. It's a long way to go to tell you that you can be an elf this year and feel all the holly-jolliness of providing holiday toys to deserving boys and girls.?Start a holiday toy drive today!

And furthermore...

Seriously, it takes less than 5 minutes to set up a free?YouGiveGoods?online drive raising brand-new toys for kids in need. Run a toy drive for your company, your school, your church, in conjunction with your holiday party, you name it. It's so easy and the joy and hope you provide this holiday season will keep you warm all winter long.?Learn more about a YouGiveGoods Holiday Toy Drives.

Contact Us today to discuss how to enrich your holiday season by helping others! Email us at [email protected].

This is your brain on cell phones

I think we all know by now that cell phones can be very bad for our mental health and pose even greater risks for our children. Laurie Santos, Yale University psychology professor and host of the podcast, "The Happiness Lab", recommends waiting as long as possible before you give your child a cell phone. Read more about kids and cell phones in the CNBC article. And, if that train has already left the station, check out this article on Teledoc with suggestions on how to break your digital media habit.