The festive season can be a time of joy, togetherness, and celebration.  However, it can also be one of the most demanding times of the year. Balancing family commitments, social gatherings, work deadlines, and holiday preparations often leaves little time for self-care.

If you’re feeling the pressure, you’re not alone. With so much going on, it’s essential to find ways to look after your wellbeing while still enjoying the festivities.

Here are some suggestions for self-care to help you stay balanced and resilient whilst embracing the Christmas season.

Prioritise What Matters Most

Think about what you would like to Christmas period to be about and plan accordingly. What is important to you and those around you?  What would you like the memories to be about?

If you reflect on past Christmas’s I would anticipate the best memories are linked to people and time together, rather than perfectly wrapped gifts or elaborate meals.  Take the pressure off and set yourself up for success, rather than creating an unrealistic to-do list and trying to make everything perfect.  Identify the crucial ‘must-do’ tasks and prioritise them.  Then make time for the ‘nice-to-do’ things that being joy.

Set clear boundaries to manage expectations, for example, not overcommitting to spending time with people and get the balance that works for you that allows time to recharge.

Delegate and share tasks.  Doing things together, even mundane tasks like preparing vegetables for dinner, can move things from being a chore to spending time with people.

Schedule Time for Yourself

Give yourself permission to do things for you.  This isn’t about being selfish or self-indulgent it is about replenishing your resources to do everything else.  Taking a quiet ten minutes with a cup of tea gives us a bit of mental and physical space.  These micro breaks have been shown to improve mood and energy.

Have a Holiday Self-Care Day

It can be lovely catching up with people and spending time with those we care about, but it can also be exhausting, particularly if it involves a lot of travel.

Allocate one day as a self-care day.  This can be whatever you want it to be.  It can be on your own or with others.  Perhaps it is a day with no expectations and simply doing what brings you joy, a long walk in the country, or a pyjama day watching films.

Get Outdoors

Even in the darker days of winter getting out into natural light and being in nature is beneficial.    It helps regulate our body clock for better quality sleep and has been shown to reduce stress and boost mood.

Take time each day to go outside, even if only for a short time.

Stay Active

Whilst we might deviate from usual exercise habits, take time for some activity during each day.  Even short bursts of physical activity can improve mood and energy levels.

Integrate physical activity into your festive routines, perhaps take a walk after dinner, play games with children, or dance to holiday music.

Nourish Body and Mind

Christmas can be a time of overindulgence, when we give ourself permission to eat and drink things we might not usually do.  Whilst I am certainly not suggesting we deprive ourself of these pleasures be mindful of keeping a balance.

Eating nutritious foods and staying hydrated can boost your energy levels and immune system, while avoiding excessive sugar and alcohol can prevent energy crashes.

Connect with Others

Connecting with others is vital for our wellbeing.  It is part of every model and is vital all year round.  Yet Christmas seems to be the time we make these connections a priority, when we catch up with family and friends.

This can be about having fun, playing games, reminiscing, a feeling of belonging, or the simple pleasure of being with those you care about.  Make time to create these opportunities and savour time together.

Switch Off

The Christmas period can be a time when things slow down.  Embrace the opportunity to stop clock watching, stop monitoring emails, avoid mindless scrolling through social media, etc.

Take the opportunity to be more present.  To slow things down and enjoy simply being in the moment without expectations or demands.

If Christmas is a Difficult Time

With all the hype and focus on Christmas it can be particularly hard for those who find it a difficult time, are lonely, or if working.  If this affects you, be extra vigilant in looking after yourself to cope with the expectations.  Be kind to yourself and show yourself the care that you would to someone you valued.

Final Thoughts

Whilst the festive period can provide a chance to let go of many of the demands of our daily life, sometimes the lack of routine along with the potential additions of over-indulgence and less activity, can leave us feeling tired and lethargic.

Getting the best balance is important.  Embrace and enjoy all the good things of Christmas and the New Year period, whilst keeping some of the basics of wellbeing in place.  In this way you have the energy and are in the best mood, to make the most of everything the festive season may bring