As you get into the swing of Christmas, it’s important to look after yourself. Taking care of yourself can help you manage stress and be more productive. What follows are some ways you can do this:
Being around toxic family members
There are a few ways you can deal with toxic family members over the holidays. You can try avoiding them, but this is easier said than done for some of us. If you want to get away from them, you need a plan that involves finding somewhere else to go or making sure there’s enough food and drink in your house so that they don’t come out of hiding too often.
If all else fails and these people find their way into your home, it helps to keep as much distance between yourself and them as possible. When they’re not looking at you directly (i.e., when you are alone with your thoughts), try imagining a force field around you — one through which nothing gets through without permission.
Setting boundaries
If you’re like me, the festive season can be a bit exhausting. Even though we have more time with our families and friends, there is often so much pressure to do everything – and sometimes I feel as if I don’t get any rest at all! To help keep up your energy levels and not burn out, it’s important to set some boundaries.
Taking time for yourself
- Take a break from the family.
- Go to the movies.
- Walk in nature or around your neighborhood.
- Read a book (especially if you’re traveling, it’s easy to keep one or two handy).
- Watch TV or listen to music.
- Have a nap! If possible, go outside in nature and take a nap there so you get some Vitamin D while doing so; this will help boost your mood even more!
Eating healthily
- Eat a healthy breakfast.
- Make sure you eat a balanced diet, with plenty of vegetables and fruit.
- Avoid eating too much junk food (e.g., sweets, crisps).
Get a good night sleep
It’s easy to lose track of time during the festive season and stay up later than you should. This is especially true if you find yourself in a different time zone from where you usually live. It’s important to remember that getting a good night’s sleep is essential for your health, so try to go to bed between 9pm and 10pm. If it’s too hard on your body to wake up early, then try setting an alarm for a couple hours before sunrise (around 5am) so that you can get yourself into the habit of waking up earlier overall.
Doing exercise
Exercise is a great way to relieve stress, as it helps you sleep better and feel more energised. It can also help you eat better, making better food choices. It may seem like an extra thing to worry about when you’re already busy preparing for Christmas, but the benefits of exercise are endless: it’ll help keep your moods positive and happy, which will make it easier for others around you too!
You don’t have to join a gym or start running marathons every morning before work—just make sure that at least 30 minutes of moderate activity is part of your routine each day. If possible try to do this first thing in the morning so that it gets done before any other activities take up your time later in the day
Keeping your environment tidy
To help you keep things tidy and avoid stress, try not to leave too much mess around. If everyone is helping out with keeping the house clean, then there will be less to do when it comes to cleaning up.
If your kids are at home, try not letting them make a mess with food or drinks as this can be difficult to clear up once they have been played with by small hands!
It is important to look after your emotional and physical health during this busy time.
Whether you’re working or not, it is important to look after your emotional and physical health during this busy time.
It’s easy to lose track of yourself when there are so many things going on around you. You may have a busy schedule, relationships with others that need attention (including friends, family and colleagues), commitments such as Christmas shopping and other festive events which can add to the stress.
Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean isolating yourself from others; rather it means taking time out for you every day so that you can stay healthy, happy and balanced throughout the festive period.
It’s good practice to ask yourself if there are things that are causing you distress or making life difficult at this time of year – whether it be financial worries or unnecessary stress caused by unresolved conflict between others – then take action now by speaking with someone about them in order for them not only be resolved but also reduced in future years too!
Remembering to take care of yourself can be difficult when you’re involved in all the hustle and bustle of Christmas. But it is well worth remembering that your own health and wellbeing really does matter, even if other people don’t realise this. By taking time out from all the excitement, you will feel much more positive about the holiday season than if you had ignored these important steps.
