Stay healthy and happy with self-care for the holidays!
In this crazy, busy season, we can all use a few tips and reminders to take care of ourselves. This list of 10 self-care activities for Christmas (or anytime!) will set you up to enjoy the holiday season without feeling overwhelmed.
Are you feeling stressed? Overwhelmed? Maybe even more so than usual for the holiday season this year?
That's perfectly understandable. It's hard to balance everything during regular life, add in the extra worries from the pandemic and the stress of figuring out alternate plans and traditions that still keep the holiday spirit and it can easily spin out of control.
That's why it's even more important right now to take a step back and take time for a little self-care for the holidays.
One of the best ways to make sure we are better able to deal with the stresses and worries of the holiday season is to give our bodies and our minds what they need to function well.
We aren't at our best when we are tired.
We aren't at our best when we are hungry (and possibly subsisting on cookies and egg nog? 😉 ).
We aren't at our best when we are stressed or cranky.
Instead of telling yourself you don't have time for a good meal, for working out, for a nap - tell yourself you NEED those things so you CAN tackle everything else, and do it well.
Let's set ourselves up as one of our priorities this holiday season.
10 Tips // Ideas for Self-Care for the Holidays
- Feed yourself well. Fuel your body with protein, vegetables, and healthy fats so it can perform at its best. This may require some time spent on meal planning and meal prep.
You can find all of my tips for meal planning HERE and a giant list of dinner ideas HERE. - Stick to your routines - or keep working on ones you've been trying to develop. When we get busy or stressed, we tend to push things aside, which often does not reduce our stress, but instead makes us feel guilty for not taking care of the things we normally do. The dishes pile up, the house is a disaster, and we fall asleep with our make-up on. 😉 Instead of adding another layer of stress and guilt, keep going with those systems and routines that are working in your life. Do those dishes as soon as you finish dinner or be sure to brush your teeth and wash your face before bed (you can find a video of my daily skincare routine and my favorite non-toxic skincare products HERE). You will thank yourself for staying on track!
- Sleep. You probably know this one is important, but it's still one of the first things we neglect when life gets crazy. Decide on a time to go to bed and stick to it. Take a nap if you need it. Pay attention when your body is telling you it needs to take a rest.
- Go for a walk. It may be freezing cold outside, but taking a few minutes to go out for walk not only gives you all of those benefits of exercise/moving your body, but a few minutes outside is always good for the body, and the soul.
- Call a friend. For most of us, this holiday season isn't as full of parties and school concerts as it may have been in the past. But connecting with family and friends is still a very important part of the holidays.
- Plan something fun. By yourself, with the kids, date night, time with family, at home, out and about - whatever you enjoy. We all need something to look forward to that doesn't involve work deadlines or Christmas wish lists.
- Do one of those classic "self-care" activities. To me, self-care isn't just about bubble baths or pedicures, but those can be a restful and fun thing to do for yourself. So take a few minutes to luxuriate in the tub, paint those nails, sit in front of the fireplace with a hot drink, read a book, or even schedule a massage.
- Write down all the things on your To Do List and scratch one off without doing it. That's right - give yourself permission to not do All The Things. If you're like me, you're probably overly ambitious with those To Do lists and try to cram more things in than you can fit in one day. Make the conscious decision that one or two of those things on the list just aren't that important and don't really need your attention today.
- Celebrate one (or all!) of your holiday traditions. Take a drive around the neighborhood to see the lights. Decorate the tree. Watch It's a Wonderful Life or The Grinch for the hundredth time. There are so many things that can bring us joy this holiday season, and most of them are simple things that don't require a lot of prep work (and still be done while social distancing).
- Indulge a little. Did your mind go directly to eating all the chocolates you set aside for those stockings? That's not exactly what I meant. Indulgences can be anything that feel a little decadent. It could mean taking the time to visit a friend instead of running the errands you intended to do today. It could mean booking that pedicure we talked about. It could mean baking cookies with the kids (and good news on that one, there are plenty of yummy healthier cookies and deserts recipes out there and I just happen to have rounded up a bunch of them HERE - all sugar free and low carb). And maybe it does mean opening up that chocolate - just try to eat one piece and not the whole bag!
No one truly wants to feel stressed or overwhelmed during the holidays, yet that's one of our most likely times to feel that way. Don't let the busyness of Christmas and the holidays overwhelm you. Fit in some self-care for the holidays and stay healthy and happy all season long!
