How to rekindle a little holiday joy when you might need it most.

I‘m four days into a Christmas cold as I write this. Maybe it’s five and I’ve just gone through enough Tylenol Cold and Flu to put down a horse. Still, it persists. But it’s Christmas, and I’m determined to persevere with or without my deteriorating body. Yes fellow millennials, whether you’re beaten down by a pesky cold, recovering from the Christmas party last night, or biting your tongue around family you haven’t seen in 12 months, who couldn’t use a bit of old-time Christmas fun?

So without further delay, here are three ways to help you rekindle your holiday spirit.

The Santa Tracker

I’m willing to admit this here on our little corner of the Internet: I believed in Santa for a lot longer than most people. I mostly credit my parents for keeping up the charade for far longer than necessary along with a healthy dose of private schools and suburban living. Sure, you can be all cynical about Santa, but to me he’s more a symbol of kindness than corporate greed.

So, why not follow him as he makes that improbable journey around the world with Google’s Santa Tracker? But hurry, it’s only a few hours until take off. Maybe it’s just a Canadian thing, but we tend to take his flight quite seriously.

Google’s Santa tracker website is massive. It’s really like some kind of digital Christmas theme park. You can learn to say Santa Clause in any language you want, check out how other countries are celebrating Christmas around the world, or relax with some fun browser games.

Get Creative

It’s so easy to get caught up in the madness of the shop-wrap-give cycle, that we often forget what it’s really all about. So take a little extra time if you have it and put some creativity into your giving by adding some unique wrapping to your presents. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but a little extra thought goes a long way. My favourites I’ve found so far include adding nostalgic gift tags, adding Instagram photos to your wrapping, and using just about anything but gift-wrap as paper. If you’re going to go for a more professional look, you need look no further.

Find a Good Soundtrack

If you’re like me, you’ve tried to avoid the all-Christmas radio stations because you really don’t need to hear every top-40 artists trying to put their own spin on “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” But there comes a point where a few classic Christmas songs might really set the mood and remind you of a favourite Christmas memory. This Spotify playlist (via Mashable) has a few skippable tracks but is mostly filled with the good stuff.

Do you have a favourite way to help you get into the Christmas spirit? Let us know in the comments below.