in: Wellness

Tidings of Comfort & Joy: 10 Self-Care Tips for the Holiday Season

Ah, the holidays. The laughter, the lights, the gifts, the …stress? The holiday season doesn’t have to make you cringe, take these self-care tips to heart.


Are you the one in your family or among your friends who takes care of everyone else during the holidays? The one who does all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, wrapping, decorating, and even cleaning up? If you are, this post is for you—to remind you to take care of yourself, too.

1. Do Less

Lots of people give lip service to the notion of simplifying the holidays, but not many people actually do it. The key to less stress and more simplicity is to make a conscious decision to do less: cook less food, buy fewer presents, organize fewer parties. Make a “to do” list of everything you think you have to do over the holidays. Then strike three or four items off the list. Keep the list posted where you can see it, and don’t add anything new to the list unless you cross something else off.

2. Delegate

How often do you say, “It’s easier if I just do everything myself.” I’ve gotten to the point where I realize that it’s not easier if I do everything—it’s actually somewhat dreadful to have to do it all. Again, go back to your “to do” list and figure out who else in your household can help. You may need to be the mastermind of the event, but surely someone else can run the vacuum, peel the potatoes, set the table, and definitely clean up.

3. Feed Yourself Healthy Food

It is easy to skip meals and snack on junk food during a day or a few days of prepping for a big event. But really, there’s no need for this. Keep fruit, cheese, peanut butter, and whole grain crackers around for a quick snack. Make yourself a sandwich in the morning before you get started on your ‘to do’ list, so it will be ready when you get hungry at noon. A couple of days in advance, make up a salad and store it in an air-tight Mason jar. Put the tomatoes on the bottom, then the cucumbers and carrots, add washed and dried chopped lettuce and cheese or whatever else you want, but no dressing. Salad in a jar will last a few days. When you’re hungry, take it out, turn it upside down into a bowl, drizzle with dressing, and enjoy.

4. Stay Hydrated

Stay hydrated and energized by making up a couple of healthy shakes you keep in the refrigerator. Store them in a jar with a covered lid so you can re-shake them easily without taking out your blender. You can even drink out of the jar so you don’t dirty more dishes.

5. Schedule Sit-Downs

When you make your plan for the week or day, schedule in some sit-down time. If you write it down, it’s more likely to happen. When it’s time to sit down, put your feet up, and relax. Do it!

6. Use Groupon, Living Social, Amazon Local to Hire Cleaning Services

If you can’t get anyone at home to help clean, now might be the time to join an online site like Groupon or Living Social. You’ll be able to find cleaning services that offer discounts for the first time you use them.

7. Play Music

Turn your favorite tunes on in the background to keep you humming as you get through the day. Put together a holiday play list, or just use the radio to find music that will make you happy.

8. Simmer Potpourri

I call this stovetop aromatherapy. Fill a small pot with water; add cinnamon sticks, apple peels, whole cloves and some orange sections. Simmer, uncovered, on low.

9. Meditate

If things are starting to get really stressful, find a spot where you can get away for even five minutes. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and relax. You’re getting ready for a celebration, after all!

10. Get a Massage

When the hubbub is over, schedule a massage. You’ve earned it. This doesn’t have to be expensive. Plenty of places offer head, neck and shoulder massages for a dollar a minute. You’ll find these at shopping malls, too.

 

 

Written by Diane MacEachern

This post was originally published with Care2.

[image: via pixabay]

About the Author:

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