Wellness Hacks For The Festive Season
With the snowy season fast-approaching, (swiftly crosses everything for a white Christmas), there can be a certain amount of pressure & stress that accompany the fun, festivities & frivolities of the month of December. It can actually be quite a challenging time for many people and it is really important to remember that it’s okay to do it your way & to be gentle with yourself.
I shared this post over on my Instagram last week & it received so much love - it really did strike a chord with you and it meant a lot to me knowing that the little pic I created (after a full-on morning of packing, designing & being a Mama), helped. My family all live a couple of hundred miles away and although we see them fairly regularly, Christmas for me is an opportunity to spend some proper time with them rather than a fleeting weekend visit, (and to eat my body weight in buffet items!).
Christmas should be a time for family, for slowing-down and for taking it all in & when you are feeling good, it’s easier to glow with the flow. When you are full, rested, happy, content, able to work through tricky emotions & when you feel hopeful, these layers can create such a grounded sense of wellbeing from which glowing health can manifest. It’s not selfish to put your needs first and in fact, it can take time and practice to make yourself a priority but you can’t pour from an empty cup and your mental health is paramount.
With these things in mind, I wanted to share some tried & tested wellness hacks that when implemented during times of challenge or stress, can work wonders for bringing down cortisol levels & leave you feeling on more of an even keel. Thus, these hacks are not just for the festive season, oh no, indeed they can be put into practice any time that you might feel a bit overwhelmed.
1. Begin the day with a few minutes of deep-breathing to get the oxygen flowing around your body. It’s important, if you can, to breathe deeply in through your nose & release the breath slowly out of your mouth.
Amazing facts about nasal breathing:
~ There’s a 10-20% more oxygen uptake
~ Warms & humidifies incoming air
~ Removes a significant amount of germs & bacteria
~ Calms & soothes the body, engaging the parasympathetic nervous system
2. Break-up your festive to-do’s into manageable, bite-sized chunks (that you can tick-off during the weeks leading up to Christmas Day). This can help to spread the load & allow you to get ahead of yourself! Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to use their favourite notebook to make lists followed by the satisfaction of ticking-off tasks as you complete them!!! *Channelling my inner Monica (clip board compulsory).
3. Don’t be afraid to set a budget, suggest a Secret Santa or give handmade gifts. Gifting can be tricky but there are ways to ensure that you’re not over-spending whilst flexing your inner creativity at the same time. Nothing says “I love you” or “you mean the world to me” quite like something that has been crafted and made with love. Of course, not everyone has the time, resources, (or inclination), to craft or make a gift but there are so many small UK-based doing the leg-work & are creating unique and beautiful gifts. My boxes support lots of fellow indie businesses (plus they contain lots of my handmade and exclusive items). Keep an eye out early next week for some new boxes, (some with a gorgeous festive twist!).
4. Take a walk in nature. Nothing hits the re-set button quite like a brisk walk in the fresh air & being around nature can be such a great way to ground yourself if you are feeling a bit stressed or stretched. Practice mindful breathing whilst you’re out and take time to notice the little things. Being a Mama to an inquisitive toddler has allowed me to slow down in some ways & see the beauty of the world through his eyes. If you are pressed for time, a 5 minute stretch of the legs is sometimes all that’s needed.
5. Don’t feel like you have to say yes to every Christmas plan. ‘Tis the season & all that, but it’s also the season for cosying-up with your hot chocolate & watching Christmas movies! It’s okay to say “no” to some things if you’re not quite feeling like it or if it will put pressure on you financially. Doing what’s best for you is what’s important & there will be plenty of other opportunities for celebration in the coming year.
With Christmas just over a week away now, there are pretty twinkling lights in windows and wreaths on doors. The scent of cinnamon & cloves is filling our home and I am excited to crack-open the mulled wine! Whatever your plans are for the festive season, make sure that you take some time to “just be”, and soak-up the magic of Christmas but please also remember that it’s okay if you find Christmas tough. It can be a testing time emotionally if you’re struggling, but it will get easier.
So, in the coming days, wake-up and repeat some positive affirmations, don’t look at your phone until after breakfast, take some deep breaths, walk for at least 10 minutes at some point during the day, hydrate, get cosy, love yourself, get an early night and remember that YOU ARE MAGIC!
Have a wonderful festive break, take a load off, don’t be too hard on yourself and soak-up the Magic of Christmas ahead of the shiny brand New Year!
I love you all and I can’t wait to share some exciting new NourishMe projects in 2024!
All my love & encouragement,
Holly xxx