Wellness Survival Guide For The Holiday Season
Well, here we are, making our way into this year's holiday season.
From Thanksgiving to Christmas, Kwanzaa to Hanukkah, Winter Solstice to New Year’s Eve; whatever you’re celebrating, we’ve got you covered on the wellness front.
Using BSD’s Four Pillar Approach, find your nearest blanket, put the kettle on and dive into this survival guide for the holiday season.
While our calendars, advertising, and social media convinces us that we’re all supposed to have a pretty identical holiday season, that’s not the case. We all have different beliefs, traditions and practices. Some days have special significance and others don't. For some of us, this is a period of celebration, joy, and community but for others it’s far from a season of festive fun, but instead might feel anxiety-inducing.
Using our Four Pillar Approach to wellness, find your nearest blanket, put the kettle on and dive into this survival guide for the holiday season.
Physical Wellness
Firstly, judgement is not your friend here. There’ll be fitness accounts sending subliminal warnings to not be “too indulgent” or forget your health goals. Even in 2024, there are still unhelpful posts on how many squats you need to do to “work off” a slice of pumpkin pie. Be kind to yourself and most importantly, listen to your body. Wellness is about balance, and balance includes your usual routine, with a huge dose of joy too. If you know that sticking to a certain way of eating and moving is vital for your health and overall wellbeing, don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. If you eat and move intuitively, then keep doing your thing.
With decreasing sunlight, cold and flu season running rampant and hectic schedules, it’s a good idea to check-in with what you need to get through this time of year, and feel your best. That might be adding in or stocking up on some supplements, such as a reliable multi-vitamin, probiotics, and immune support. Always be sure to check with your GP instead of TikTok before trying anything new, in case there’s contraindications.
Moving your body is beneficial at all times of the year, but especially during winter, yet with days filling up with things to do, it can feel tricky slotting it in. Try adding in hits of micro movement, if you’re not up for long sessions in the gym. You can do this by walking the short distances that you might ordinarily hop on a bus. Introducing an evening stroll with friends or family as part of a new after-dinner activity, or doing some stretches before bed. YouTube and the Nike Training Club app have your back, if you’re looking for 5-15 minute exercises to work into your day.
Emotional Wellness
You don’t have to force yourself into feeling any particular way. A calendar doesn’t need to dictate our moods, so focus on your intuition over expectations. Holiday season often brings with it thoughts about community. There’s an assumption that everyone will be laughing around a dinner table, and that’s not always the reality. It might be the first season after the death of a loved one. It could be the first holiday after a divorce, or this time of year might be triggering if you don’t have family in the traditional sense of the word. There’s no cookie-cutter way to exist right now, so all of your emotions are valid.
If you love this time of year, savour it! Write about all the moments of celebration, connection and joy that you experience. Give yourself permission to create brand new traditions and throw out the rule book. Maybe you choose to do your own thing, or switch up the menu. Let your emotions be the guiding force for your actions. From tricky dynamics with family to the bliss of spending more time with a new partner, give yourself some grace, if any unexpected emotions arise. This season might require tighter boundaries and being prepared for dealing with other people’s emotions too, so give yourself a headstart by reading Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide To Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab and Nonviolent Communication: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. Rosenberg.
Christmas adverts are often focused on one big happy smiley family, if your relationship with yours is strained, distant or you’re spending this season alone, explore how you can create a new relationship to this time of year. Maybe you find some community groups or meetups, take yourself on some solo dates, or find some new recipes to prepare a multi-course meal for yourself. There’s no right way to do this time, ask yourself what you need and follow that as the response. Dr. Kristen Neff’s Self-Compassion Practices are worth saving on your phone, for those moments when you’re feeling all the feels and need a pause.
Mental Wellness
There’s a reason why the cards, board games and puzzles come out at this time of year. In those days when you’re not at a desk, but feel your fingers twitching; get creative. Use your hands to play, bake, write or draw when your mind feels like it wants to do something. If this season brings up any anxiety for you, or the cooking and festivities get a bit much, find a designated escape room. It might be a spare bedroom or a bathroom, and take five minutes to do the 4-7-8 breathing exercise. Find a seat (or the toilet), breathe in for the count of four, hold the breath for the count of seven and breathe out for eight. You’ll feel more regulated, calm and prepared to get back to it.
Regardless of what this season means for you, it’s a celebration in itself that you’ve made it through another year! Take some time to slow down and pause to reflect on that. You can write out all of your wins from the year so far, or create an affirmation to remind you of your growth.
Spiritual Wellness
Most of the holidays around this time hold some sort of spiritual significance. Making this the ideal time to deepen or explore your connection to your spirituality, faith or relationship with yourself. With endless party food and discounts, you’d think that this is merely a time for filling up online baskets, but it can be a time to introduce more rituals to your day.
Especially with the emphasis on busyness that this season often invites, find moments in your day to create some space for ceremony. It could be spending more time in your skincare routine to add some mindfulness. Think deep breaths as you apply your serum, visualise yourself washing away any worries with your cleanser, and setting intentions as you do a mini facial massage.
If you’re making cups of tea for everyone, use the time it takes to boil the kettle to think about what you’re grateful for, say a prayer, or just smile. As you prepare to step into the new year, ask yourself what you’re in devotion to. Perhaps it is a slower life, a more creative one, expanding community or being in service to society. Whatever it might be, any periods of rest over this season can be a great way to connect to what that might mean for you.