Having your basic self-care is vital all year round. But this becomes more important in the run up to the holidays. Many factors may contribute to your additional stress both externally and internally in December. So please be aware of these triggers for you.

First off having a good basic self-care routine is essential for us to set healthy boundaries.  Letting go of your self-care is not going to do you any favours. The holidays and Christmas if you celebrate it is hectic. More so if you are the one hosting. So between now & the twenty fourth of December I want you to take some time for you so you can reduce your stress and overwhelm.

Self-Care Tips During December.

1 Stop Saying Yes To Everything And Everyone.

That’s the number one rule for the next few weeks. This is part of setting your healthy boundaries. Schedule in only what you really want attend. Yes you need to have an excuse ready for the really pushy ones. Plus you will need to work on letting go of the guilt. But it has to be done if you want reduced stress levels and time for what is more important to you.

It is okay to say no at any time but more so to the many things that arise in December. No to overspending, no to over indulging, no to self-neglecting, no to feeling guilty, no to hosting if people push you to, no to going to an event you are invited to. Even with Covid people may push things on you.

So plan ahead for anyone who may push you into doing things you don’t want to and have that excuse already worked out. Be more discerning about your time. It’s a precious commodity after all and it only deserves to be spent on things and people that are positive for you.

2 Make Sure To Take All Your Breaks.

Yes all of them even if you work from home or are a stay at home parent. So that includes lunchtime, elevenses, 3 pm, etc., you need them more now than ever. Life will go on and if you are so busy that you never take your lunch then I suggest you start doing it. Get outside for at least 15 minutes at lunchtime you need vitamin D as it also helps lift your mood.

3 Protect Your Sleep Routine.

Try to get to bed on time or a little earlier than usual. Stop all social media notifications on your devices at night and remove all distractions from the room. Cut caffeine in the afternoons as it will help improve your sleep and reduce stress and anxiety symptoms. For more tips on sleep please check out my blog where I give 11 tips to improve your sleep.

4 Keep Exercise And Healthy Eating Patterns Up.

This is essential as our lives become more stressed now. Keeping any regular routines going now is important and your exercise routine will help to reduce the extra stress and anxiety.

Exercise will also improve your mood and combat any rising depression or anxiety you may be experiencing. If you are pushed for time go out for a 10 minute walk or do some light stretches instead of skipping your workout completely.

If you are feeling stress, anxious or overwhelmed then get up and get moving is the better option also. When we feel like this or caught up in our emotions we can get caught up in our thoughts as well. This will feed and perpetuate any negative cycle. It is far healthier to get up and move.

When we are like this we are getting caught up in the freeze, fight, flight, cycle. We need to move our bodies to get the energy out and things moving again mentally as well. Walk away from what you were trying to do for a few minutes. Go look for something quick to do instead. For example: tidy your desk, run the hoover around one room, put a wash on, dust a room, unload & load the dishwasher, or just make one corner of the room tidy. Then come back to what you were trying to do at the beginning.

As I said above cutting caffeine will help improve your sleep and stress but so too will cutting back on sugar. Make sure you eat regularly to keep your sugar levels steady, then you are less likely to over indulge. Please seek medical advice if you need to regarding eating and exercise.

5 Use One Form Of Meditation To Help You Relax.

Any form of meditation will do. You could try some mindfulness, a progressive muscle relaxation or yoga. Give one a go to help you relax and reduce your stress and anxiety at this time. A simple 10 minutes a day can and does change your perspective on life.

Or if you feel pressured try a 3 minute breather might be better for you to use on the go. This one can be done anywhere and at anytime during the day. Free meditation podcast links for different meditations can be found here  and in the links above.

6 Catch Up With Your Support System.

It is vital that we all have a positive support system surrounding us. These kinds of support include emotional supports, financial and informational supports plus tangible supports. Some people may provide more than one kind of support and they may overlap with one another.

As the holidays are so stressful all-round it makes it more important that we take time to catch up with these positive supporters. Some we may moan to, others may provide us with tangible or informational support right now. It doesn’t matter how they help as long as they are a positive support for you right now. Remember these need to support you in your attempts for self-care and help you reduce your stress.

7 Keep Date Nights On The Cards.

If you’re in a relationship have at least one date night in the run up to the holidays. You don’t have to go out. Cook a meal together, set the table & light some candles. Relax in front of the TV or just play a silly board game. Working on your relationship is part of self-care. Plus if you have children you are showing them how two people love each other in a healthy manner.

8 Don’t Let Your Hobbies Or Interests Go.

It can be so tempting to let things go because we are busier at this time of year. Please don’t. Hobbies and interests provide us with many benefits both for our mental and physical health. It has been shown to increase self-confidence, decrease our stress levels, decrease risks of burn out and depression to name but a few.

We also use our hobbies and interests as a means of social interaction. Many of these people will be included in your positive support system and we don’t want to drop these at times of higher stress such as the holidays. Hobbies and interests can give us time to be alone, enter the flow state and allow us to recharge before dealing with other things.

9 Attend Any Support Groups.

Don’t allow attendance to drop from any of your normal support groups or therapy at this time either. It may be tempting to do so if you are busier but they can and do provide vital support particularly during the holidays. This may be more vital than at any other time of the year for you.

10 Stimulate Your Senses To Ground Yourself.

There are a number of techniques you can use to ground yourself. One of the best ways to do this is by having a relaxing bath at least once a week. Light the candles put in your favourite bath product and just sink into the bath and relax. If you are a stay at home parent you can always do this after the kids are dropped off to school.

Another way to do this is with an on the go method called the 54321 exercise. It’s very simple and quick to do. How to do this exercise:

Name 5 things you see right now.

Name 4 things you can feel right now.

Name 3 things you can hear right now.

Name 2 things you can smell right now.

Name 1 thing good thing about yourself

11 Get Out Your Journal.

Getting our emotions and thoughts out of our heads is important. It is a great way to relax and help your mind switch off at night. It doesn’t have to be anything special a simple notebook will do.

Starting right now note down your thoughts and/or emotions. Just get them out and see what happens. Allow yourself to feel your feelings. This time of year can bring up some very strong emotions. Writing them down instead of holding on to them is healthier for us.

If you indulge in extra eating or drinking to stuff down your emotions it will only make matter worse. You are better off acknowledging what you are feeling. Then reach out to your support system to talk things through. Or ask for help from professionals if need be.

Make sure you have your emergency bad day kit stocked with healthy self-soothing items. Sticking to your normal basic self-care routines will also help.

12 Show Some Gratitude

Don’t forget to add 3 things you’re grateful for that day to the end of the journal page. It will, I promise, change your mind. The very act of recording things we are grateful for helps rewire our brain towards positivity. When we do this we begin to notice more things that are positive in our lives. This will boost our mental and physical health.
Secondly if you’re feeling low and life isn’t going well today, sit down and read what you have recorded. Again re-reading our gratitude lists are a great way to boost our mood and mental health.

Work With Me.

Remember you are allowed to ask for support. No one is an island. If you need extra support then you can also work with me. We all struggle with stress and overwhelm from time to time. If you find this has become a problem for you and you’d like some support then schedule an appointment with me.