Tips for Looking After Yourself in the Lead Up to Christmas

For many, Christmas time and season is indeed the most wonderful period of the year filled with joy and happiness. However, it also comes with a flurry of activities, demands, and expectations that can leave us feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Amidst all the gift-shopping chaos, festivity parties, and endless lists of things to do, it is vital to prioritise taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health.

So, remember as you gear up for the holiday season’s merrymaking and decking the halls; try not to neglect yourself because a healthy and happy you is the best gift you’ll ever give during this Christmas season.

10 Essential Christmas Self-Care Tips

In this guide, we’ll explore a wide range of practical self care tips to help you navigate the holiday hustle while still looking after yourself.

Prioritize Your Well-Being

To enjoy a healthy festive season, one needs to first focus on self-care which requires knowing your limits and setting personal boundaries so as to protect your body, mind, and emotions. Understand that you cannot do everything and it is okay to say no when there are too many commitments at once. 

Find ways to make sure that no matter how busy you get this time of year, there is going to be some time carved out just for yourself. Whether it means doing what makes you happy, taking leisurely walks in nature, or even just holding quiet moments of reflection, pamper yourself with such uplifting actions.

As Rest and Digest, we have a range of beautiful self-care packages and hampers to help you prepare for and recover from the Christmas rush. Explore our collections which include:

• The Ultimate Self-Care Box
• The Mindful Self-Care Gift Box
• The Beauty Sleep Bundle
• The Body Self-Care Package
• The Deluxe Self-Care Hamper

Each of these carefully crafted products aims to indulge your senses and bring about ultimate relaxation and stillness that are suitable for gracefully dealing with the pressures of the festive season.

Maintain Healthy Habits

The holiday season often seduces us into overindulging in rich foods, skipping workouts, and trading sleep for late-night parties. Still, maintaining healthy habits is key to managing stress and keeping busy at this time. Take care of your body by eating a well-balanced diet packed with fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Moderate alcohol intake as well as caffeine since these substances can impair sleep patterns leading to anxious feelings. 

Find time for exercising regularly even if it is just a five-minute walk or a few minutes of stretching exercise daily. Make bedtime more peaceful by establishing a calming routine before sleeping; aim to have 7-8 hours of rest every night. You can also check out our Rest and Digest blog on getting better sleep naturally.

Manage Stress Levels

Throughout the holidays, stress is a common problem but there are plenty of ways you can keep it in check. Embrace mindfulness and meditation so as to calm yourself amidst the chaos. Find time each day to sit quietly and focus on your breath thus allowing your mind to relax and unwind. Deep breathing practices help to regulate the nervous system promoting relaxation. 

Incorporate stress-relieving activities such as yoga, tai chi, or massage into your routine to help reduce tension while boosting overall well-being. In case you find yourself overwhelmed, never hesitate to talk to friends or family for assistance as sometimes just talking about what one feels can provide great relief.

Plan Ahead

Putting things off till the last minute often causes more stress leading to unnecessary scrambling. Staring holiday preparations early by making lists and prioritising tasks can help avoid this situation. Breaking larger projects down into smaller steps that will be manageable makes it easier for you to achieve them one at a time. 

Make sure that you delegate responsibility whenever possible, whether it’s having someone else do some cooking, cleaning up after dinner, or wrapping gifts. Be ready for unexpected changes in your plans, because - after all, the best-laid plans often go awry. 

Our Rest and Digest Productivity Aids, and Bullet Journals might come in handy when planning for the upcoming Christmas season.

Budget Wisely

Financial stress can cast a shadow over the holiday season, but planning is key to relieving some of that pressure. Start by creating an account of your expenses for everything including gifts, decorations, and travel. Be realistic about your financial status and allocate resources accordingly. Committing to sticking within a set budget for gifts is important in this case. 

By prioritising where your money goes, you can enjoy the season free from fear of spending too much or going into debt. Note that it’s not material possessions but rather relationships and feelings that give Christmas its true meaning.

Give Back

It’s not how much you spend on a gift during holidays; it’s the thought behind it. Therefore, instead of purchasing expensive items that will add to your financial stress, consider homemade presents, experiences, or acts of service that strengthen bonds between individuals who matter in our lives most. 

Discover thoughtful gifts for her this Christmas from Rest and Digest, including our carefully curated collections such as; Yoga Essentials, Skin Care Tools, Natural Body Fragrances, Herbal Teas, Gratitude Journals, the best self care gifts and Inspiring Books. We also have a great range of health and wellness products and information.

With such a variety available in our collection, you can easily find the most thoughtful Christmas presents encouraging well-being and mindfulness during the upcoming festive season and beyond.

Embrace Imperfection

Most importantly, do not let your pursuit of perfection keep you from enjoying this period. Embrace flaws and give value to building memories with family. Accept that sometimes plans will go wrong and it is alright. Also, learn to accompany mistakes with laughter, focusing on the present rather than aiming for excellence. 

Realise that you are trying your best in any given situation. Be gentle with yourself and practice self-compassion, particularly when things do not go as planned. The lasting memories often come out of the unanticipated moments of happiness and connectivity.

Nurture Your Creativity

The holiday season creates an ideal time for you to exploit your creativity by involving yourself in various forms of arts and crafts. From decorating your home, making gifts by hand, or engaging in do-it-yourself holiday projects, nurturing your creativity can be entertaining and therapeutic. 

Create some time to try out diverse creative outlets and let your mind wander off. This way, it would help relieve stress while at the same time adding a personal touch to the celebration of your holiday.

Stay Connected

When Christmas is around the corner, it is that moment when one should keep in touch with family members and friends so as to create a sense of community. Spend quality moments with loved ones by dining together, taking part in festive activities, or even having deep conversations among yourselves. 

Reach out to those who may feel alone or isolated and consider volunteering or giving back to the community as a way of spreading holiday cheer. While focusing on our lives, we need to cultivate a mindset of gratitude, realising how blessed we truly are.

Of course for many without family, friends or loved ones, Christmas is the loneliest time of year for many, and we should reach out to those in need of love at that time of year. If you ever need help during the holiday season or at any time of the year - reach out to the organisations that can help you:

Beyond Blue

Lifeline

Find Happiness in the Little Things

Amidst the maddening hustle and bustle of holiday preparations, it is important to set aside time for those activities that bring us happiness and contentment. Maybe it’s engaging in a beloved hobby, spending quality time with our loved ones or simply being awestruck by the beautiful season. These are moments worth prioritising if we want to recharge and revitalise ourselves. 

Also, start some real traditions with sentimental meaning for you as well as your family members. Be it trimming the tree, watching cherished Christmas movies, or volunteering as a family unit, these rituals can create lasting impressions and strengthen our sense of belonging. 

Welcome the Holiday Season Gracefully

As holidays draw close, it is important to keep oneself in mind amidst all the excitement that comes with preparation. Following the self-care tips given here will make navigating through this festive season much easier for you. 

Amidst all the sparkling lights and jingles playing everywhere else, let us remember one thing; our wellness deserves to be on top of our priority list this festive period. So, let us be kinder to ourselves this season than ever before ensuring that our hearts, minds, and spirits remain as bright as the holiday lights.