Surviving Christmas, 10 tips for self care

Surviving Christmas, 10 tips for self care

Suffering from Christmas overwhelm?

You’re not alone. While it can often make for the best of times, it can also make for some of the most stressful ones too. Leaving many of us feeling down, overworked and frankly, exhausted, it can take its toll on our mental as well as our physical health too.

So here are some top tips to survive the season

1. Carve out time for you

Carve out time for you to take yourself away from Christmas and to remember that it is only one day - therefore if it’s not perfect, there are always other days. Give yourself some time so the pressure of Christmas isn’t relentless and something that you’re preoccupied with day after day after day.

2. Spread the celebrations out

Try spreading Christmas over several days so you don’t have all the pressure put on the 25th. Have some nice things lined up on the 26th, 27th, 28th, or a day that suits you too so that you’re more in charge of an event that can often feel like it’s escalating out of control.

3. Focus on gratitude

If you spend just a minute every day to reflect in gratitude, the Christmas period will be the joy it is supposed to be. Create an advent calendar of one thing a day that you are grateful for. It will set you up for a good Christmas.

4. Focus on giving

In psychology, it has been proven that it is really good for the human mind when a person just focuses on giving to others.

·       Give some of your time;

·       Give someone a helping hand;

·       Give your family members the joy of seeing you;

·       Give a seasonal greeting to a stranger;

It all will just raise the spirit.

5. Allow yourself to receive

Mindfulness teaches us to focus on the moment with non-judgement. Practice it during this time by:

·       Letting go for a little and enjoying yourself. Even top athletes take some time off.

·       Giving yourself permission to eat more, celebrate more and even stay up later, (if you can't do it over Christmas, when can you?). Remember how the rules were broken for you as a kid when you were young.

·       Open yourself up to receiving the good cheer of this season. It can be good for you. Let the celebration of family, friends and people around you uplift you. The human spirit shows its strength in this season. No matter what your year might have been like, there is nothing that another pair of colourful socks, an embrace from a slightly tipsy stranger and a hot meal shared can't fix.

6. Make room for some Headspace

Ensure that amidst all the pre-Christmas rush, that you take time out for yourself; 20 minutes of mindfulness practice each day can make a big difference bringing calm and relaxation to a busy mind.

7. Get out and about

Ensure that you get some time outdoors; even if it’s cold outside – a brisk walk in the crisp outdoors can make a real difference to mood. Staying cooped up inside for long periods of time is not conducive to positive mental wellbeing.

8. Get your health fix

While Christmas is often synonymous with overeating and indulging in rich foods that we wouldn’t usually eat in such large quantities, ensure that you don’t completely overlook getting your 5 a day. Ensuring you remain hydrated while also avoiding big fluctuations in blood sugar too is important to remember.

9. Try and pace yourself

It's busy socially, so try and make sure to enjoy yourself, but at the same time, take time to care for yourself. Not too many nights in a row out and make sure you're getting in good sleep and exercising a few times a week.

10. Don’t strive for impossible perfection

It’s often the gap between our expectations and reality that causes us a lot of stress and disappointment. If you’re pushing for perfection, please remember that perfection is only ever someone’s opinion; and it’s subject to change. We’re often happiest when we meet life with openness and acceptance, rather than pushing and controlling.