3 Self-Care Tips To Create More Balance on the Run Up To Christmas

The run up to Christmas can be a really magical time of year, but it can be a stressful one too - lots of juggling social plans, Christmas parties and shopping for presents. During these busy times, it’s important that we continue to fill up our cup - taking time to rest and relax so that we can be at our best for the season ahead. Here are 3 tips to support self-care on the run up to Christmas, so that you don’t get to Christmas day feeling tired and burnt out.

1. Don’t Underestimate The Power of Me Time

When we’re at our busiest, it can often be those little acts of self-care that slip down the priority list - but it’s times like this when self-care is most important. Light a candle and take some screen-free time, have a soak in the bath, read a chapter of your book, spend time in the garden, take a walk in the fresh air - whatever self-care means to you, carve out time from your day every day, just for you.

2. Plan Healthy and Hearty Meals

The cold weather and dark evenings often leave us craving comfort foods and more often than not they are not the best choices to support our body’s physical health. There are plenty of healthy, hearty warming meals you can prepare; how about trying some comforting winter vegetable soups. Ingredients, such as kale, brussel sprouts, root vegetables (sweet potato, carrots and turnips) can help to keep your immune system healthy, as well as keeping you warm and cosy in the colder evenings. Wellbeing is all about balance, so don’t feel like you need to miss out on those gingerbread lattes and office sweets - treat yourself, you deserve it! 

3. Set Your Boundaries

Setting boundaries can be tough, especially at Christmas when you're surrounded by family or have to make difficult decisions about who you can see and how much time you can spend. When it comes to setting boundaries, it can also be really difficult to express how you feel, without the fear of offending someone or coming across ungrateful.⁠

My Self-Care Edit founder and yoga teacher Alice says, “An approach I find helpful is the ‘I Feel-When-Because-I Need' approach developed by clinical psychologist Thomas Gordon. It centres your feelings and experiences, reduces the likelihood of defensiveness in the listener, and offers concrete suggestions for change.⁠”

Here's how it works; you form a statement using the following words as an anchor or foundation:

I FEEL⁠

WHEN⁠

BECAUSE⁠

I NEED⁠

Here’s an example of how this could be used in a sentence: I FEEL stressed WHEN hosting Christmas dinner BECAUSE there's always so much to do and everyone leaves the room when the tidying up needs to be done. I NEED everyone to help with clearing the table and doing the washing up, so that we can all enjoy a more relaxing evening together as a family.⁠

What does your boundary setting look like? Try a sentence like the above - say it out loud. How does it sound? Try using this format to communicate how you feel with your friends and family, and respect your own boundaries this Christmas.