Self-care is an important part of anyone’s life, especially for people with many responsibilities such as mothers, caregivers, and nurses.
The non-stop caring and nurturing for those around us can make you completely forget about yourself, eventually leading to a buildup of stress.
During the holiday season especially, the hectic wrapping of gifts, the never-ending to-do lists, the gift preparations and making sure you’ve got everything organized can take its toll on you.
It’s easy to neglect and forget about yourself. So it is important to squeeze self-care into your routine to make you feel alive.
When I do take out the time, even if it’s 10 minutes, self-care gives me a boost of energy and makes me ready to tackle the next part of my day.
So caregivers, do not neglect self-care because those 10 minutes of self-care can do a world of good to your mental health.
Here are 10 ways you can add some much-needed self-care to bring yourself back from your hectic routine!
Drink a Cup of Hot Chocolate/ Tea/ Coffee
Nothing beats a cup of something hot, be it chocolate, coffee or tea. Its especially appreciated during the colder seasons.
All three of these drinks are so good at boosting your mood, especially coffee and tea because of their caffeine contents. And tea has extra anxiety and stress-fighting properties.
So take some time to treat yourself with a warm cup of stress relief and sip those worries away. Take 10-15 minutes somewhere quiet and from all distractions, that includes your phone as well.
Light A Scented Candle
There is something very soothing about candles, especially the way they brighten up the ambiance of any home.
If you take out the time to create an atmosphere, even if it’s just lighting your favorite candle, those few minutes of relaxation time will be just what you need during this holiday season!
This is also one of those perfect gifts you can get for any loved one or family member, especially if they are into scented anything.
Listen To A Podcast
It can be difficult to read a book to relax, especially with everything going on during the holiday season. So, why not listen to a podcast instead, they are super informative, fun and it can be completely hand-free while listening to it.
You can do other self-care practices along with it, maybe something on this list, hint hint!
Finish the Night With a Facemask
A face mask can really make your night feel like the highlight of the day. It only takes 10 minutes to make your skin glow and I help you feel confident and more joyful.
During this time you can enjoy some music, scented candles, podcast, etc. It really is the perfect way to end any night!
It’s also a great gift to give someone, that’s why its part of our must-have 31 gifts for self-care.
Pamper Your Body
Exfoliating your body peacefully and thoroughly can be a surprisingly enjoyable experience. Add some candles and/or bath salts for ambiance and aromatherapy.
Christmas time can be perfect for treating yourself and taking out 10 minutes out of your day to use your favorite exfoliants and have a peaceful bath!
Wax It Up
I recently came across wax melts, and let me just say I absolutely love them! Aromatherapy has such a relaxing and calming effect and I recommend everyone try it.
It might sound so simple, however, the simpler things are for me the more I enjoy myself and getting it into my self-care routine.
Wax melts also leave your home smelling absolutely amazing, they even have holiday season scented ones.
Get Creative
When you are running around doing errands, shopping, and setting up for the holidays, you can lose a part of yourself very easily.
It’s important to nourish yourself and your soul with creativity and art. My family is very into arts and crafts and painting.
Anything from sewing, knitting, painting, writing poetry – whatever works for you. Make the time, even if it’s just 10 minutes, and add it to your self-care routine for the day.
Skin Care
Skincare is essential to nourish yourself and feel confident as part of your self-care. Fun Fact our skin is the largest organ of our body, I know crazy. So taking good care is not only enjoyable but also healthy for you.
Treat yourself this Christmas to some luxurious skincare products. Make it a gift from yourself to you or you can also gift it to a loved one or family member.
Cook Your Favorite Meal
Now, this doesn’t sound anything like a self-care tip, but the point of self-care is to help you relax, be at peace. Believe it or not, a hot meal can sometimes be all you need.
Sometimes when you are busy scrambling all over the place it can be hard to even get a meal in, let alone an enjoyable one. So take some time out to cook for yourself something tasty.
Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is a very important part of self-care and happiness. It’s even a tradition during thanksgiving for most families, telling each other what they are thankful for.
But in this social media age, we have become disconnected with both ourselves and our own families.
This disconnect can have a seriously negative impact on your mental health and self-care routines. It’s important to make a gratitude list every so often, in which you write down 10 things which you are grateful for.
Beauty Sleep
Here is one more extra self-care practice anyone can add to their list. Getting sleep has not only been proven good for our health and bodies but also our mental state.
If you want to learn how to sleep even when dealing with anxiety, I wrote a 3-minute read that has some amazing tips for getting some good quality sleep!
- Relate: Sleeping With Anxiety