Simple Ways to Care for Yourself During the Holidays

The winter holiday season can be a time of great joy. It can also be stressful, hectic, anxiety-ridden, and painful. It’s important during times like this to find small moments to practice self-care. 

I polled my family, friends, and colleagues to find out the simple, free (or low cost), passive (mostly) ways they take care of themselves during particularly stressful times and compiled them for you. 

Note that “simple” doesn’t always mean “easy,” but hopefully we’ll be able to give you some ideas for practices you can incorporate into your life today. The list below is very expansive, and potentially overwhelming. How about pick 2 that you like?

1. Eat an orange.
   This is a running joke I have with my friends - a gentle, humorous way to encourage them and myself to eat something that will fill our bodies with the nutrients we need, nutrients that we might be missing during the winter months. Aside from eating an orange, I also have a C, D, and Zinc daily vitamin regimen, but find what works best for you!
   
   

2. Say NO.
   If your first instinct is to say yes to every party invitation or favor request, and you’re left feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, try saying “no” to the next one that comes in. It may not be easy, but it is important to let yourself rest when you’re stretched too thin.
   
   

3. Alternatively, say YES.
   During these stretched-too-thin times, do you find yourself brushing off people who want to take some of the burden from you? It can be hard to accept offers of help, especially when they’re vague (“anything I can do to help?”) and you’re feeling #decisionfatigue.
   
   The next time someone offers, first, say “YES.” Then say, “What did you have in mind?” or “What would you like to do?” That way, the first thing they do to help is take away the burden of decision-making from you. You don’t have to worry about whether you’re asking too much or giving them something that they don’t want to do. They can tell you. And remember - if the roles were reversed, you likely would love to help someone else, so don’t worry. The best way to practice self-compassion is to remember how you would treat a friend.
   
   

4. Download an affirmations app.
   I use an app called “I Am,” which sends me affirmations several times a day. When I pick up my phone, I have a notification with encouraging words right on the lock screen - I don’t even have to open it. You can choose what categories the affirmations are about and how often you want them sent. There is a free and paid version. It’s one of my favorite passive self-care practices.
   
   

5. Brush your teeth.
   Do some small act of personal hygiene maintenance. Self-care doesn’t have to mean taking an elaborate bubble bath. Sometimes it’s rinsing off for two minutes in the shower or washing your hands with your favorite soap. This can act as a little reset in the middle of your day, or just a moment where you feel taken care of.
   
   

6. Practice mindful social media.
   I’m sure you’ve heard about social media fasts or not looking at your phone for 30 minutes before bed or various other ways to lessen the negative impact of social media on your life, but those ways require big, sometimes impossible, changes. For a simpler way to practice self-care when it comes to social media, keep it small. Unfollow two accounts that don’t make you feel good. Follow two accounts that do. Go on Instagram and search for what makes you happy - puppies, humor, art, nature. Personally, I love looking at beautiful places in the world so I make sure to follow accounts that always deliver me pictures in that category.
   
   

7. Go to bed early.
   I fully acknowledge that this one can be hard. But it is one of the simplest, best ways you can take care of yourself. Even if it’s just once this month that you pack it in by 9 or 10 p.m., that extra hour of rest will be a wonderful gift to give yourself.
   
   

8. Fix one annoying thing that you encounter every day.
   This one’s for the fixers out there! Is there something that you see every day that feels like a pebble in your shoe? For my husband, it was the messy shoe pile next to our door - drove him up the wall. So one day he went out and bought a cheap shoe rack, and now he’s not frustrated by a haphazard pile of shoes and socks every time he comes in the door. The thing you fix doesn’t even have to be as big as that! Is there a picture frame slightly crooked on your wall that you never get around to straightening? A light bulb you keep meaning to change? Take a few minutes to fix it as an act of self-care.
   

9. Make your bed.
   Research has shown that making your bed has positive mental health benefits. It can help you feel organized, make for a more calming space, provide routine and structure to your day. There’s even a book called “Make Your Bed,” in which the whole premise is “if you want to change the world, make your bed.” Maybe you’re not looking to change the world, but changing the vibe of your day is a good start!
   
   

10. Don’t snooze your alarm.
    I used to be a chronic snoozer. Couldn’t get up with my first alarm for anything. But I realized that I was losing time, I wasn’t getting better sleep, and I wasn’t taking care of myself. At night when you set your alarm, you make a promise to yourself that you’ll get up at that time. When you snooze, the first act of your day is breaking that promise to yourself. So start your day off by keeping that promise instead. (Also remember that there is always room for compassion and flexibility if you do need to hit that snooze button.)
    
    

11. Reduce your “blue light” time.
    Especially if you work from home, it’s incredibly helpful to have 30 minutes of no blue light time (looking at computer screens, tablet screens, phone screens) before starting your day, and it’s recommended to stop looking at screens 30 minutes before bed. Now, I don’t know too many people who can follow that recommendation, so for this list, I say gift yourself five minutes of screen free time before bed. Spend five minutes reading a physical book or magazine, write in a journal, or just spend a few minutes breathing.
    
    

12. Make a list, you’ll feel better.
    Keep a notebook or post-pad on your nightstand and spend a few minutes making a list (maybe use it as your 5 minutes of no-blue-light time before bed!). Make a to-do list, a gratitude list, a list of random thoughts you need to get out of your head - it can be anything. My favorite list to make is a gratitude list. Whenever I notice we’re getting grumpy in our house, I have everyone pause and list out three things we’re thankful for, which can help turn the mood.
    
    

13. Take care of the place where you sleep.
    This can mean washing your sheets, changing out your regular sheets for flannel ones in the winter (my personal favorite), or putting a heating pad on the bed to warm it up before you get in for the night. Do one simple thing to make your resting space inviting and cozy.
    
    

14. Replace one everyday item that needs replacing.
    Is your pillow as flat as a piece of paper? Is your hairbrush missing all the bristle tops? Do you have holes in your socks (or your underwear)? It may not be exciting to buy new socks or a new toothbrush, but they’re small things that can bring a mood boost to your day.
    
    

15. Bring your pillow with you.
    Are you traveling for the holidays? Bring your pillow with you if you can! It will be a simple comfort to have a pillow you know works perfectly for you when you’re away from your own bed.
    
    

16. Drink a glass of water.
    When it’s cold, keeping hydrated can be harder but your body needs it and just having one glass will make you feel better.
    
    

17. Go outside.
    Even when it’s cold and crappy outside, it feels good to get fresh air. If you can take a 30-minute walk with the family, that’s great. If you can make it to the end of the driveway and back, that’s great. If you can lean out of your doorway for one minute, that’s great. Just take a moment for yourself to be outside and breathe.
    
    

18. Tidy ONE thing.
    Pour out the water glasses that litter your house. Straighten a pile of paper on your desk. Empty even just a few dishes from your dishwasher. That will be one less “to-do” nagging at the back of your mind.
    
    

19. Watch a fun but informative video.
    Find a video on something that makes you feel interested or intrigued to combat feelings of boredom or desensitization. Make it something that leaves you feeling fascinated, stimulated, or inspired - but NOT productive. This is fun, not work. One of the people I polled for this list said they love watching the WIRED Tech Support series of videos where experts in different professions (e.g., a mortician, a robotics profession, a chess pro) answer questions from the internet about their field of expertise.
    
    

20. Remove three things from your closet.
    I learned this from the “Be More with Less” Instagram account. Take out three things from your closet that make you feel bad or sad for any reason and get rid of them. That can mean donating them, throwing them away, giving them to a friend, or even just sticking them in a drawer that you never use - so long as they’re out of your sight.
    
    

21. Treat yourself to a new phone background.
    Find something that makes you happy to look at and make it your lock screen or home screen background. Every time you pick up your phone, you’ll get a mood boost. Personally, I love cute holiday themes!

And there you have it. Twenty-one ideas for simple, gentle ways to practice self-care. What can you do to care for yourself today?

If you’re looking for help practicing self-care compassionately and or need some extra support, reach out to schedule a consultation.

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Avalon Psychotherapy offers online therapy in Georgia. We are also happy to offer individual relationship counseling, young adult therapy, life transitions therapy, and individual DBT therapy.