The holiday season: filled with excitement, joy and just a bit of stress. Whether the thought of family functions, braving retail stores or completing finals overwhelms you, there’s no doubt self-care and mental health is most important this December. Here are some simple holiday-themed tools you can use to recharge yourself and your mind.
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Face Masks. While I certainly promote staying safe with cloth masks this holiday, I’m talking about a break from the cloth masks and returning to the O.G. facial masks! Choose from masks in the sheet, clay, cream, and gel variety to soothe the skin and your mind. Pick one of these up at your local CVS or Walgreens.
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Meditate. Choose from options such as a 5 minute meditation through YouTube or Calm App guided meditation to complete this task! These meditations will get you to focus your mind and be present on the task at hand.
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Deep Breathing. Return for your center with some deep breathing. To do this, sit in a place that keeps you calm, and focus on breathing in and out for a few minutes. If your mind wanders, that is natural! Just return to thinking about your breathing and become aware of how it makes your body feel.
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Exercise. Get those endorphins up with lots of exercise! Vary your workouts from running and strength training, to Zumba and walking with friends. My personal favorites are running and dancing through the Wii ‘Just Dance’. Not only is it great stress relief, it will make your body feel better and burn off those holiday treats!
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Crafting. Whether it is decorating your home in the holiday spirit or drawing designs on ornaments, crafting is a great way to let your creative side loose! Pull out your markers, stamps, and crafts scissors, and hit Pinterest for art ideas to calm yourself!
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Listen to Music. The power of holiday music is unmatched this December (or dare I say, November?). Sing songs like “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, “Santa Tell Me” or “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow”, at the top of your lungs or choose a favorite playlist to relieve the stress!
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Baking. Let the sweet scents of cinnamon, spice, and everything nice fill your kitchen this December! Mix ingredients for sugar cookies, apple pie, or bundt cake, to calm yourself. It could even be perfect to send to a family holiday party– just be sure not to stress eat the whole thing!
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Light a Candle. Yankee Candle and White Barn and Magnolia, oh my! Let rich and relaxing scents bring you to your happy place, free of exams, holiday shopping, and any other overwhelming tasks. Watching the candle’s flame grow will remind you to bring yourself back into focus through breathing deeply. Pick one up at a local Walgreens, Bath & Body Works or TJ Maxx.
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Drink Tea/Hot Cocoa. The ultimate savior of winter-hot drinks! Warm your soul with hot cocoa (marshmallows highly recommended) and tea. Both have a calming effect on the mind, however tea has antioxidants, and the different herbs used to make teas have even more benefits to your body. You can even mix tea with honey or sugar, which have added strengths as well. Pick one up at your local grocery store and start drinking!
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Read. Pull out a good book, magazine or newspaper, and catch up on your reading! I love to take a favorite book with me to school, home, or on trips to relax my mind and body after a busy day. It will also put you in a great mood for whatever task you have to conquer next! My top favorites are “Zach & Mia” by A.J. Betts, “Everything, Everything” by Nicola Yoon and “Divergent”, by Veronica Roth.
Now it’s your turn to complete this list! Head to your favorite space and take some time for yourself, while keeping in mind the things you are grateful for this year. Use the template below as a guide for your 31 days of self care! Don’t forget to keep your mental health a priority during these Coronavirus celebrations, and happy holidays!