10 Holiday Wellness Tips
Holiday season: the most wonderful time of the year when we get to exchange gifts and cook delectable meals, but sadly, a time when we forget about our holiday wellness.
It’s understandable to get wrapped up in the holiday spirit and get excited about doing a lot of things such as keeping up with Christmas traditions and preparing a feast for your family. Still, it can also be a bit overwhelming and result in burnout.
As you prepare for this festive and busy season, don’t forget to stay on top of your mental and physical health. A well-rested mind and body during this season will not only help you perform everything on your list but it can also help you enjoy every memory in it some more.
Here are 10 Optimal Tips For Holiday Wellness by Dr. Stamatina Nikolaou (she/her) MA., R. Psych.
1. Have realistic expectations.
To avoid irrelevant stress this holiday season, don’t set your expectations too high. Be realistic when it comes to your holiday preparation. Although it’s nice to see a house that’s well decorated for the holiday season, it’s also important that you don’t get yourself too tired to put up these decorations. Additionally, understand that some family or friends are busy with their own personal lives so don’t stress yourself too much if they can’t come to your parties.
2. Accept imperfection.
As much as we want to make things as perfect for our loved ones, it is also important that we accept imperfection. We cannot really expect everyone to be best dressed or well-mannered during family gatherings. There’ll always be someone who ruins the mood or someone who’s a “grinch” during Christmas. Accept their imperfection and focus on their good traits instead. Remind yourself that the holiday is all about giving and forgiving.
3. Accept things you can not control and focus on what you can control.
A good holiday celebration always starts with planning. It’s great to plan your schedule and events ahead of time to make the necessary preparation. It helps you keep things organized. But even remember that sometimes, things don’t go according to your plans and that’s okay. Accepting and focusing only on what you can control can help you avoid unnecessary stress.
4. Try to accept family and friends as they are.
The holiday season is all about exchanging gifts and stories with the family and it can’t be helped that there’ll be some family drama too. A perfect family only exists in movies therefore you should accept everyone’s imperfections and flaws. The same goes for your friendship. What’s important is that you’re there to help each other improve and be better persons.
5. Stick to a budget.
Setting a budget for Christmas shopping and celebration is a must. You don’t need to make this year’s celebration even more extravagant just because the previous years were grand. If you plan to give everyone gifts but you just have a limited budget, then maybe it’s time to make some budget cuts. Moreover, understand that there’s an ongoing global recession so if you’ll be receiving lesser gifts, you should still be grateful for the people who remembered you.
6. Maintain routine and healthy habits.
Even though it’s the holiday season, don’t forget about your daily routine such as working out or doing some meditation. It’s also important to incorporate healthy meals into your diet during this time of the year. For sure you’ll be attending a lot of parties or dining out with family and friends. A good meal consists of eating a balanced diet that you enjoy and that will give you nourishment.
7. Prioritize your self-care and take some time for yourself.
No matter how busy you are with holiday preparations, always make time for yourself. Pamper yourself and take some time to destress. Read your favorite book, treat yourself to a spa, and eat your favorite dish in your favorite restaurant. Rest and take some time off to avoid feeling burnout during the holidays. It is important to maintain holiday wellness no matter how hectic your schedule is.
8. Connect with others.
It’s the season of giving and forgiving so might as well use this time to connect and reconnect with other people. Write them a letter, send them a message, or catch up with some family and friends that you haven’t seen for a long time. Better yet, join some communities with whom you share interests. Making new friends is always better than celebrating the holidays alone.
9. Plan ahead.
Make a to-do list, plan your schedule, and keep things organized. It’s the busiest time of the year and there are a lot of things going on for everyone. Planning things ahead of time will help you take some pressure off your busy schedule. Planning ahead will give you peace of mind no matter what the circumstances are.
10. Don’t be afraid to say no.
If you can’t afford to give everyone gifts, don’t go over your budget just to try to impress everyone. If your schedule is full, don’t say yes to all the invitations that you receive. And if someone is making a last-minute change of plans and you’re not comfortable, just say so. Remember that every time you say yes to other people’s requests, you are saying no to yourself. And this holiday season, you should be giving yourself the gift of self-care and self-love.