The holidays are here, and it’s time to celebrate for some and for others, it can be a stressful time of the year or a time of tempting overindulgence!

But it’s also time to stay on track with your health and self-care goals. If you’re looking for some simple steps to help you meet your holiday self-care goals, we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together seven steps that will help you stay healthy and practice holiday self-care. They include drinking water, pampering yourself, but they also include getting enough sleep, prioritizing relaxation and staying connected both to yourself and your social support system (whether family or friends!)

The next time you find yourself too busy with holiday activities or too stressed by the number of things to get done to end the year with a bang, just remember these seven steps for holiday self-care to guide you to self-care during the holidays —and you’ll be good to go!

Step 1: Drink water. 

Stay hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water every day. I don’t know about you but 8 glasses seems like a lot to keep up with consistently but here’s a different perspective- the more water you drink, the fuller you are for extra room to include holiday junk foods. This is a great holiday self-care idea.

Water serves a lot of useful purposes but one important benefit that even us cannot help but be amazed by is that water really helps keep your skin fresh and glowing throughout the holiday season! This can be perfect whatever your underlying season is- whether to look your best for your family Christmas photos or for that extra confidence boost if you are too busy to wear a ton of make-up during this season. Don’t forget the below tips to encourage better water drinking habits:

• invest in a fun and easy-to-carry water bottle to be close to your working area;
• try adding lemon or fruits to flavor up your water;
• have a cup of water by your bedside so you drink one glass first thing in the morning.

Let’s not forget that water also helps cleanse your insides from the many sweets and goodies that tend to find their way into our mouths this holiday season!

Step 2: Pampering yourself. 

Pampering yourself should definitely be on your list of things that Santa (you!) should be doing for you. Yes, it’s part of holiday self-care. Pampering yourself is could mean having a long warm bath with your favorite bath salts soaking into your skin and unwinding the stress that the holiday brings to taking some time out on the couch with your favorite nephews or nieces cuddled up with so much energy around you or even singing old but oh so good Christmas songs.

You have worked really hard this year and even though the year may have brought or not brought all you desired for you- Guess what? …you are still alive, you are still breathing, you are still walking, talking, smiling, dancing (even though with two left legs!). The point is that this is a good time to Start A Gratitude Practice for Positivity because the simple things ought to be acknowledged and through acknowledgment, also celebrated too and this is the perfect time to begin!

Step 3: Prioritize Rest and Relaxation

The first step of self-care during the holiday season is to prioritize yourself, your rest and relaxation. We all need to make sure that we are taking care of our own needs first and foremost. This means setting aside time for ourselves, and making sure we are getting enough rest and relaxation. Holiday self-care means you take out time for yourself. It also means politely saying “no” when people ask us to do things we don’t want to do politely.

Why?

The holidays can be a time of obligations and expectations, and so it is very easy to over stretch your time by saying “yes” to everything and everyone, and slowly not making time to recoup and unwind from the year or even prepare for the year ahead. We’d be open to suggestions in the comments below but the one good way to get time for yourself is to set boundaries. This means saying “no” to things that don’t serve you, and not taking on more than you can handle so you can say “yes” to the things that are truly important to you. It can be hard and yes, hurtful to set boundaries because it is somehow tied to rejection and no one likes to be rejected, especially if you’re used to people-pleasing. But it’s important to remember that you have a right to say “yes” but also the right to say “no” and those who truly love you and respect your right to have a life of your own, your happiness and time to grow, will absolutely understand (and may even be proud for you!).

Another way to prioritize encouraging rest and relaxation is actively participating in other activities that forces our body to slooooow down. This will help calm our mind, help us self-soothe and feel like our best selves. This could be something as simple as reading a both to the calming scent of your favorite essential oils from your diffuser, to reading a book, watching a movie, or drizzling some aromatherapeutic body oil as you massage and feel your skin and muscles. Whatever it is, make sure you make time for rest and relaxation or doing things that encourage our bodies to take the much needed break it deserves.

On a side note: a good night’s rest helps boost immune function and keeps our cravings at bay, so happy resting! 

Step 4: Make Time for You

Another important step in self-care during the holidays is to make time for yourself. This could be anything from taking a walk to meditating to journaling. We are meant to spend time with ourselves in order to figure out our path to an enjoyable life. And you should never had tot apologize for that! And yes, holiday self-care ought to include it.

Taking time for yourself can help reduce stress and make you feel more energized. It’s important to make time for yourself, even if the only time you can get to do this is when you are in the restroom (haha!). Sit with yourself, your thoughts, observe your inner energies and have your journal beside you ready to release your observations and thoughts on paper too!

Step 5: Incorporate Movement

Incorporating movement into your daily routine is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health. Exercise not only increases our energy level and muscle strength, but it also helps us to reduce stress and improve our moods. And the good news is that we don’t have to spend hours in the gym or pounding the pavement jogging in order to get those benefits.

Even adding a few minutes of movement to your day can make a difference. You can do things like take a brisk walk during the afternoon when some sunlight is out to reduce the cold, take the stairs instead of the elevator if you live in an apartment, or even do simple stretches first thing in the morning and throughout the day. All of these little movements can add up to big gains in both physical and mental health. This is a really good practice of holiday self-care.

Step 6: Get Some Social Self-Care & Stay Connected

The holiday season can be a time of loneliness and isolation for many people and this fact is often overlooked by the shiny commercialization of Christmas. Some of us may be grieving this season, some people need support, some people have lost their jobs and cannot afford the Christmas they desire and a lot of us simply feel stuck indoors or we may feel that we lack true connection. Or simply not looking forward to the awkward conversations at dinner.

This should not deter you though….

We believe this season also comes with a true blessing- Time!

This is the one season where all your old friends, family are available and secretly hoping for some reconnection too. Let’s not be shy to pick up the phone and say hello to that friend we’ve not spoken to in some years because we just drifted apart. Make a forgiveness or reconnection list- be brave about it, pick up the phone and talk it out. And if they don’t seem interested, that’s all okay but we’ve found that most people appreciate the gesture and would return your goodwill with a great conversation!

Step 7: Practice Gratitude

The last step in self-care during the holidays is to practice gratitude. Even if the holidays are difficult, take time to appreciate the good simple things in your life. This could be anything from a beautiful view of your apartment or home to a kind gesture from a loved one or even that you woke up today and can breath freely. Practicing gratitude can help you stay positive and make the holidays more enjoyable.

To help you stay on track with your self-care after the holidays, we’d be making our 13th Plan available from next year to give you more ideas on selfcare, encouraging you to fall in love with life again.

Until then, happy holidays and have a beautiful holiday self-care from all of us at NUGALA and cheers to more out of life in 2023!

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