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Slowly but surely, as we drift toward the holidays, cheerful smiles fill the air, accompanied by the sound of jingle bells and the presence of Christmas elves. Aromatic pies tempt wistful noses, and families come together to create memories that will last a lifetime. But amidst all the merriment, do we remember to include self-care in our plans?
We often welcome the holidays with joy, laughter, and celebration. Twinkling lights adorn our buildings, and decorated trees stand as reminders of the season of love and giving. Yet, as much as we enjoy the events and festivities, many of us know that if we’re not careful, the holidays can overwhelm us with stress and pressure.
From planning family gatherings, cooking, and decorating, to gift-wrapping, managing shopping expenses, attending Christmas parties, and keeping up with cleaning—it can all become overwhelming. This plethora of activities can lead to feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, loneliness, and other powerful negative emotions.
This Is Why Prioritizing Self-Care Is Important
According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, self-care is the act of caring for oneself, especially about health, and often without the consultation of a medical professional.
Self-care is not about perfection; it’s about making small, mindful choices to take better care of yourself, especially during the busy holiday period. 
We’ve all heard the saying, ‘Treat your neighbors the same way you would treat yourself.’ While we often adhere to the first part of this saying, we sometimes ignore the second aspect, ‘the same way you treat yourself.’ We get carried away and completely ignore our physical or mental needs.
You can’t give from an empty cup. You must first pour into yourself to reach a level of sufficiency that allows you to give to others. That’s why focusing on self-care is essential for nurturing your mental, emotional, and physical well-being amid the demands of the holiday season.
How to Practice Self-Care This Festive Season
1. Allocate/Delegate Tasks
We all want our festive plans to be successful; however, you should understand that if you try to handle everything by yourself, it can lead to frustration and even worse, burnout.
To prevent this, allocation of tasks is one of the best ways to thrive. You can appoint your children, siblings, partner, friend, or even extended family to help you complete certain tasks, which is helpful to maintaining a sane and healthy mind.
2. Drink More Water
You might be wondering how self-care relates to drinking water. The truth is that you can be extremely occupied and distracted by all the voices that require your attention and chores that you need to get done that you forget to hydrate your body.
Remember that you’re burning calories as you work, and sometimes even sweat, so it is essential to drink water in between your routines to replace that which you’ve lost and to also prevent dehydration.
According to the Mayo Clinic, dehydration can cause a few complications, such as
- Heat Injury
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Bad breath
- Joint pains
Some research even shows that mild dehydration can lead to neurological changes that affect our ability to focus and can cause moodiness, which in the long term, affects our state of mind and well-being.
To prevent any of such from affecting or tampering with your merry and jolly during Christmas, you need to prioritize hydration.
3. Engage in Solitude
Christmas decorations, a messy kitchen, endless items to pick up off the floor—the list goes on. No doubt, all these activities can overwhelm your mind and drain your energy.
That’s why it’s essential to be intentional about finding solitude. Even a fifteen-minute break from social media or a quick five-minute breather away from the noise can make a big difference. These moments of quiet are vital for regaining a productive rhythm and achieving a well-organized mind.
4. Rest and Prioritize Sleep
To emphasize this enough is to connect a megaphone to all the broadcast stations in the world. It’s a proven fact: when we sleep, we wake up feeling refreshed—like sipping cold water on a hot summer day.
Sleep allows our bodies to rest, boosts our immune system, and rejuvenates our brains with a renewed burst of energy. This helps us think more clearly with a refreshed mind, making our bodies productive rather than tired and sluggish.
5. Create Healthy Boundaries
The holidays often come with overwhelming pressure from friends, family, and, let’s be honest, even ourselves. You may feel tempted to please everyone by saying ‘yes’ to countless events you didn’t plan for and might not even have the time to attend.
You might also find yourself buying extra items that stretch your budget, all in an effort to make everyone happy. This can sometimes leave you feeling taken for granted, even though that’s not necessarily the case.
This is where the power of saying ‘no’ comes into play. While our loved ones are important to us, it’s essential to set healthy boundaries to protect our well-being.
6. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is simply being aware of the present moment. It is being attentive to even the slightest details, like the aroma of our home-cooked meals, the bustling snorts of laughter during family story time, or just being fully conscious during family movie night.
When you understand that moments are fleeting like the drifting wind—it’s here one moment and gone the next—you will begin to cherish every single one.
Mindfulness can also manifest itself in the form of meditation, which is being fully aware of our surroundings. There are many meditation apps available, so all you need to do is choose one that suits your preferences and goals. My personal favorite is Medito.
7. Cultivate Gratitude
A grateful heart is a joyful one. We all have something to be grateful for—a healthy body, family, provision, a new job—whatever it is, don’t just brush it off; acknowledge it.
A good way to practice this is by having a gratitude journal where you can write down your thoughts for the day alongside what you’re grateful for.
8. Ask for Help
No one wants to be put in a vulnerable position. We all want to handle tasks and feel in control of everything, but sometimes, things don’t always work out the way we envision or plan them to.
When this happens, do not be scared of asking someone for help, even if it’s for emotional support.
9. Inhale/Exhale
Just as fish thrive in water, breathing is natural to us as humans. When you feel nervous, frustrated, or even angry, inhaling and exhaling a couple of times can instantly bring a sense of peace and tranquility.
This sense of calm extends outward, allowing you to view the situation or circumstance from a more logical and balanced perspective.
10. Create a New Holiday Tradition
Nothing brings joy and fosters bonding like holiday traditions. If you’re looking to add some excitement to your Christmas celebration or simply engage in something that brings peace, consider inviting your family to try a new holiday tradition.
It could be anything from a new board game, matching outfits, or an eating competition to skiing, dancing, or even karaoke after dinner. These activities can help strengthen the bond with your loved ones and give everyone something to look forward to beyond gifts.
Other ways to practice self-care this Christmas
1. Listening to Music
There are several holiday playlists available on music apps, but you can also curate your own for the season. Listening to it and singing along with family and loved ones will spread joy and create lasting memories.
2. Reading a book
For readers, there’s nothing more refreshing than a good book after a mentally draining and physically tiresome day.
Some will make you giggle like a high school teenager; others will transition you into a whole new world filled with dragons and monsters and then finance and marketing the next day, but either way, a good book expands and relaxes your mind.
3. Engage in Self-reflection
This is a great way to track your progress for the year, including your goals, visions, habits, passions, and relationships.
No one is perfect. Self-reflection helps you identify your strengths and areas for improvement. It also empowers you to set healthier goals and intentions for the coming year.
4. Dancing
Aside from the heart palpitations, which I might count as a side effect—pun intended—I burst into short random dance sessions, and I immediately feel like a million bucks.
Although I don’t know how to dance, moving my body in a rhythmic form helps to improve my mood. It’s also a fun way to exercise. Although it might not be everyone’s cup of Joe, being active improves your body responses, mind, and productivity.
5. Playing Games
This can be done alone, but it’s more fun when playing with friends and family. I’ve gladly experienced playing games with friends.
Whether it’s an action-packed game, one with a board like Monopoly or chess, or even hopscotch, it enhances your mental productivity and relaxation while still bonding with loved ones.
Conclusion: Self-care is About Finding Balance
Self-care is essential any time of the year; however, Christmas—beautiful as it is—can be nerve-racking if we don’t find a way to balance out our usual routines with the challenges that come with the holiday.
If you practice this little guide provided, you’re well on your way to a mindful, stress-free, and fun Christmas, as well as an amazing new year.
P.S.: Spending the holidays alone isn’t a plan gone wrong. It presents a beautiful opportunity to fully enjoy your own company, find your happy place within, and treat yourself to experiences that bring you joy.
Read this article for detailed insight!
