Making Time for Myself During The Holiday Season

Dec 1

It’s December 1st, and I think we all can officially say that the Christmas & Holiday season is officially in full swing. Though Christmas is easily one of my absolute favourite times of the year (you know how the saying goes — it’s the most wonderful time of the year!), it’s also single-handedly the most stressful & lonely time of the year for a lot of people, myself included.

Christmas, though wonderful & magical, can be - and usually is - a huge financial burden, and can be mentally taxing if you’ve have rough relationships with family members. It’s safe to say, if there’s one month that we could all use a little TLC & self-care, it’s the month of December (and probably January too!). So let’s talk about some ways that I’m going to be taking care of myself this holiday season, and how you can too:

STICKING TO A STRICT BUDGET

You may be wondering why I consider budgeting a form of self-care; well, it’s actually quite simple. The love language that I show to others is giving gifts, and if I could, I’d spoil my family & friends year round & think nothing of it. I’ve definitely gone overboard with spending on gifts before, and that’s later resulted in regret when I assumed I’d have more money than I do. I’m basically saving myself future stress.

SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY

I think it’s pretty fair to assume that after the rough nearly two years we’ve had, the opportunity to gather with family will be taken, with precautions in place, of course. But to say that I need some downtime with my loved ones might be the biggest understatement of the year. I’m burnt out, tired & in need of some relaxation.

SPENDING TIME WITH MYSELF

Yes, I can’t wait to spend time with my family, but I also recognize the way that I recharge is by being alone. I love my me-time, and I 100% plan on taking some time to myself over the holidays, even if that just means sitting in bed alone while watching a Christmas movie.

A plate filled with various cookies on a wooden countertop, surrounded by gift tags and bells.

Woman holding a drink in her, standing amongst hanging lights.

TAKING TIME OFF FROM WORK

I definitely need a break — from my full time job, my freelance work & even this blog! Working hard can be so rewarding, but rest isn’t a reward or earned, it’s needed and I definitely need some rest this holiday season.

SPEND LESS TIME ON MY PHONE

We all know that social media can drain a person, to say the least. Taking some time away from social media, and my phone in general is sure to give me a relaxing break that I so desperately need.

What are some ways you like to practice self-care? Whether it be year-round or specifically during the holidays? Even though this list is definitely holiday-specific, I’d venture to say most things on this list are things that I should be doing more often in my day-to-day life as well.