Kiosks crop up in malls, tables display new merch in bookstores, and end caps stand in gift shops. We reach for annual favorites unless life steers us to another that meets a new need. They exercise our brains and calm our nerves. These boxed presents maintain attitude, gratitude, and latitude for learning.
All told calendars keep us turning pages for good vibes and positive outlooks on life. What's more, they can aid our mental and physical wellbeing.
Without my weekly planner, I'd be lost. Others may rely upon Outlook or Google. Visual learners like to see the week. After years of habitually glancing vertical columns Monday through Sunday, that's how I organize life. I supplement this fill-in-the-blank calendar with colorful appeal and boxed amusement. It's just too much fun not to.
What we adorn onto our walls or plop onto our desks and countertops gives onlookers a glance into our quirkiness, what we love to learn, and the hobbies or interests we embrace. When gifting to others, buyers tap into the recipient's mindset as well. And publishers take note.
Page Edmunds, vice president and publisher at Workman Calendars, says, "Many people tell us, 'I've been buying one type for eight years.'" She adds that people foster loyalty to 365 Page-a-Day Calendars or their affinity for a foreign country, teapot, or on-the-porch collectible wall calendars.
Edmunds says,
In this digital age of tracking appointments, calendars let people lean into obsessions and indulge in what they love every day—cats, dogs, crosswords, travel dreams, baseball, gardening. Our tagline: 'Don't just count the days, make the days count' because a calendar helps you to slow down in our fast-paced world.
Ever wonder how the ideas for these yearly treasures originate?
Workman Publishing carefully researches buyers' needs and interests.
Edmunds gives a glimpse into Workman's research.
"On visual calendars, we always ask, 'Would someone want to be here all month long?'" she said. Workman staff research people's passions and interests. Purchasers may not set out to buy a calendar yet select one around a subject they love. Salespeople listen to their accounts regarding what garners high demand since calendars are sold in a vast array of retail establishments.
Workman's 2024 list reflects mental health, gnomes, astrology, and more. 365 Dogs Page-A-Day is chock full of factoids, training tips, breed information, and quotes about canines. Millennial Therapist: Daily Insights and Wisdom for Living Your Best Life by Sara Kuburic delivers reminders, hard truths, and advice in lists.
For instance, Dating in 1996: "You had me at hello." Dating in 2024: "You had me at 'I go to therapy." Another takeaway: "People who aren't happy with your success probably won't contribute to it." And also: "Everyone has a story, a truth, or an experience that you know nothing about. Be kind."
Sourcebooks, known for psychology publishing, produce calendars as well.
Sourcebooks produce I Am Enough Affirmations and Everyday Calm Planner as well as a CALM boxed calendar. Both of these help people experiencing setbacks in an off-year and bolster self-esteem and coping.
Andrews McMeel Publishing calendars boast cartoons and mind-stim games like Jeopardy, Scrabble, and Wheel of Fortune, plus Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and The New Yorker brands.
Bright Day Calendars Publishing company motto: "Happiness is only real when shared." It specializes in academic, work planners and colorful calendars. This company, which was once sold at a flea market, reaches hundreds of thousands via grocery stores and bookstores to further humanitarian, environmental, and animal rights causes as well.
A tangible, tactile calendar helps prioritize, motivate, and hold people accountable for the goals they've set. Take a closer versus cursory look at calendars in use to see handwritten scrawls, to-do lists, and important dates not to miss—birthdays, anniversaries, medical, dental, therapy appointments, even when to administer pet or human medication.
Calendar keeping aids our health and productivity at work, school, and in life. The wall or desk we use limits screen time and noisy digital notifications, making them perfect stocking stuffers as well as amusing gifts for all ages.
For those challenged to plan or organize—think ADHD, disabilities, or slower cognitive tempo—a calendar is essential. People with seasonal affective symptoms may find daily motivation to get them up and going.
Calendars inspire. Glancing at the Irish countryside, public markets in Provence, or the mountainous serenity of Canada or the U.S., we practice mindfulness with momentary escapes that aid relaxation, lower heart rate, and muscle tension, too.
Another perk: Scenery reminds us to begin planning our next getaway into nature or vacation to reduce stress. Calendars get us moving figuratively and literally, which our minds and bodies deserve.
Copyright © 2023 by Loriann Oberlin, MS
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