Spend time
We live in a fast-paced world where we’re constantly being bombarded by distractions. Giving someone your time and full attention is a priceless gift that many would treasure. This could be a simple conversation where you are fully engaged (phones away), or just spending time with someone doing something you both enjoy.
Act on it
Not everyone is great at asking for help, even when they need it. But it should be pretty easy to tell when someone could use a helping hand. Quietly taking something off a loved one’s to do list or offering your help (and then insisting on it) shows your attention to their lives and their time. Knowing that you’re mindful of them in this way says a lot about how you feel about someone, and to many it will be more meaningful than a gift.
Say it
Just because you know you appreciate someone, doesn’t mean that they know it. As far as we can tell there aren’t any mind readers out there, so you’re going to have to get vocal. If you think about how it makes you feel when you hear nice things about yourself, it’s safe to assume that someone else would feel equally as good having it said to them. You don’t have to get mushy and flowery (if you don’t want to), it can be as simple as letting them know you’re happy to have them in your life, following up on a suggestion they made to you or just thanking them for doing something they do every day that affects you. If you do want to really make an impact, a handwritten letter can go a long way, or even writing down one thing you like or appreciate about them every day.