The 12 Days of Christmas: Self-care edition.

Christmas is a crazy time of year. There is so much to do, so many people to see, presents to buy, parties to go to. The list goes on.

And even though it’s meant to be about spending time with friends and family, and showing how much they mean to you, it’s also important that you take care of yourself. When life gets stressful, self-care tends to be pushed aside, but it’s still so important.

So, to help you get through the holiday period this year I have compiled a self-care edition of the 12 days of Christmas. Just one thing to do each day over the holidays to help you stay happy and healthy!

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The 12 days of Christmas – Self-care

Day 1. Give yourself a break

The first day is Christmas day, and I think it’s important to start off by giving yourself a break.

Whatever expectations or stresses you feel, just give yourself a day off. There’s so much going on, it can be hard to keep track of everything. Just allow yourself to be free and easy for one day – no matter what that looks like.

If it means sleeping in while other people are opening their stockings, do it. If it means sitting quietly reading a book and drowning people out, do it. If it means watching nothing but Disney movies all day, do it!

Have the day YOU want. And give yourself full permission to.

Day 2. Gratitude

Boxing day can be a good time to stop and take stock of everything that happened the day (and weeks) before.

Gratitude can be so good for your soul, so instead of thinking about any negative things that may have happened, try to focus on the positives!

Are you thankful for a particular present? Or for spending time with a particular person? Are you thankful for being able to sit and watch Disney movies all day?

Give it a try and write down a few things you are grateful for – self-care is for the mind as well as the body.

Day 3. Rest

If your family is anything like mine or my other half’s, Christmas day and Boxing day are crazy. There is travelling between family members, lots of people to catch up with, and a big Boxing day gathering.

So, on day 3, I suggest prioritising rest.

However it is that you relax, spend some time doing that today. For me it’s napping, or lying down and watching TV. But you may find that reading, or writing, or doing something else, is what you really need to rest and relax after a busy couple of days.

Spend some time doing something relaxing.

Day 4.Take care of your body

Christmas is a time for lots of food. It’s probably my favourite part of the holiday – I can eat all of my favourite things all of the time. Cheese, potatoes, chocolate, they’re everywhere! (Although I wouldn’t recomend eating all three at the same time).

The days between Christmas and New Year can be good time to take a break from all that, and do something good for your body.

Do some exercise – not necessarily hard core exercise. I’m not saying you need to go for a run or go to the gym. For me personally these aren’t really options. But you could go for a walk, or do some yoga at home. Put on some Chrismas music and dance around. Whatever you want!

Do something easy, that helps make your body feel good.

Day 5. Mindfulness

It’s coming to the very end of the year, so it’s a great time to take in the last few days of Christmas. Mindfulness is a great way to do this.

Focus on all the senses. What Christmas things can you see, smell, taste, touch and hear? Is it the lights on the tree, or the smell of gingerbread? Is there Christmas music playing? Or Carollers?

Just take a moment today to be truly present in this state of Christmas limbo, and enjoy all the things that make Christmas great for you.

Day 6. Creativity

Today is a day to let your creative juices flow. Try to do something creative today (but something that you enjoy).

If you like to draw or colour, spend some time today doing that. If you like to do crafts, make something crafty. There are so many ways to be creative, whether thats by writing, painting, knitting, taking photographs, baking, cooking, doodling, sewing, or basically anything.

Make it your mission today to make something, in whatever form it is.

Day 7. Treat yourself

It’s New Years Eve, a time for celebration! And today’s challenge is to do something to treat yourself. This is another subjective one, that can take any form to suit you, but the point of this one is to treat yourself to something you normally wouldn’t.

You don’t need to spend money, unless that’s what you would like to do. It could be just spending some time taking a long bath. You could do your nails or your hair. Make yourself feel as special as you truly are, and do something for you.

Treat yo’self!!

Day 8. Rest

I know I have used this one before, but I think the whole purpose of New Years Day is to rest and recover from the night before.

Even if you don’t go out and party (which I never do), New Years eve is a long day and it’s important to give yourself time to get over it.

Have a lie in, or an afternoon nap. Stay in your PJ’s. Do nothing. You don’t even have to shower today if you don’t want to.

Day 9. Reflect

There have been so many posts circulating social media asking what you’ve accomplished this year, or even this decade, and it’s been quite a tough one to digest. For someone who suffers from mental illness, and now chronic illness, the last 10 years haven’t been anything amazing.

Instead of trying to think of some magnificant achievement you’ve had, remember all the trials and challenges you’ve managed to get through.

All the days you got out of bed when you found it really difficult. Times when you could’ve self harmed but didn’t. When you managed to do something that would normally give you a panic attack. You should be proud of all these accomplishments, because they are HUGE.

Use today to remind yourself how strong and amazing you are, inside and out. Because you are!

Day 10. Try something new

The likelihood is you would have been given something new over Christmas. Whether it’s a new gadget or toy, a new outfit, a new food.

Even if you didn’t get something new this year, use this opportunity to try something you’ve not tried before. It doesn’t need to be anything scary – it could be a new recipe, or a new game.

Do something different, you may surprise yourself!

Day 11. Heart healthy

As with day 4, today is all about keeping your body healthy. This time try to drink enough water to be completely hydrated, and eat something healthy.

I know the Christmas food generally keeps going until Easter but try to take a break from it all today and eat something that it good for you, even if it’s just one vegetable.

Day 11 is all about hydration and heart health.

Day 12. Skin care

You’ve done a lot to take care of your mind, and your body. Now it’s time to look after your skin.

Not only does all the junk we eat over Christmas have an effect on our skin, but so does the freezing cold weather. So make sure that today you do one thing to help regain some moisture in your skin. It’s your biggest organ, so you need to take care of it.

Put on a face mask, or moisturise. Use all of your favourite products. Do whatever it is you need to do make your skin feel amazing.

You’ll come out of it feeling like a new person. What a way to end your 12 days of Christmas.

I truly hope you have a good and positive Christmas this year, and even if you only manage one of these 12 things I hope it makes a difference.

Happy Christmas everybody!

If you like this one you may also enjoy my simple bedtime self-care routine.

Don’t forget to check out the AdVENT series over on OneMoreLightLB for more posts about getting through Christmas when you’re struggling with your mental health.