Self Care is a topic that no one really talks about much… most of us all feel too guilty to look after ourselves, shouldn’t we put everyone else first? Maybe it’s selfish to care for ourselves. Well I am hear to tell you that not only is it very important to care for ourselves but it should be a priority.
Entertain the thought that if we care for ourselves, we might be the best possible version of ourselves and this might be very very good news for everyone around us. In fact maybe Self Care is the key ingredient to being the best parent we can be, or the best partner we can be or the best human being we can be.
I believe that looking after ourselves has far reaching effects on our family, friends and communities, I want you guys to fall in love with caring for yourselves because after all you deserve it.
So this brings me onto my 10 top tips to Self Care at Christmas time. I love Christmas, let’s be clear, but often it can have its drawbacks. For a start, Christmas is fairly financially draining, it tends to involve over eating, over drinking and it often causes lots of stress in households all over the world. So why not approach the silly season slightly differently this year by following my top 10 tips.
1: Enjoy a drink or two but keep it moderate. Try not to mix too many types of alcohol and drink a glass of water in between drinks to give your lovely liver a much needed helping hand. Generally keep well hydrated and aim to drink 8 glasses of water per day.
2: Have a mince pie or a Quality Street but fill yourself up with the good stuff first. If you have nibbles make them healthy, instead of greasy crisps impress your family and friends with this gorgeous display of veggies, perfect for dipping into some delicious healthy dips.
3: Desserts seem endless at Christmas time. Make sure to add some berries or other fruits to increase antioxidants which help defend your cells from damage. Use natural yogurt instead of cream or custard, this way you reduce sugar and fat whilst supporting your good gut bugs.
4: Remember sugar is addictive. If your sweet tooth runs away with itself, try some cinnamon tea before you grab the next mince pie, it will curb your sweet craving or have a few nuts, good quality fats are also know to curb sweet cravings.
5: Keep it simple. Don’t spend unnecessary money on Christmas tat which will end up in the bin, instead shop local and gift something meaningful, lasting and in your budget.
6: Drop any expectation. Just...be...in...the...moment. Try to focus on the good in each other and be grateful for all that we have.
7: Stop stressing about family dynamics or the timing of Christmas day dinner. Keep it all in perspective and just go with the flow. Look at Christmas as an opportunity for you to create harmony in your household.
8: Get out into nature. Get the wellies and the raincoat on, breath in some fresh air, let the kids run off the excess sugar and get your body moving… Or turn the music up loud and get dancing in the kitchen.. Just move.
9: Do something nice for yourself. Take a bath, take a walk, take 20 mins out to read your book, put some nice music on, do a quick 10 minute guided meditation or simply take 5 mins to do some conscious deep breathing.
10: Have a laugh. The last and most important top tip, laughter is after all the best medicine.
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