SAY HELLO! TO DECEMBER SELF CARE
December is that season. The weather steadies on cool, you can pull out heavier style items and finally wear those boots you’ve neglected at the back of your closet the whole year. Simultaneously, it’s truly a time for us to periodically wind down the excessive workloads for the holidays and prioritise spreading love between family and friends. It’s important to adhere to methods self-care for both your mind and body’s rest after a tough 2020.We’ve selected some of our favourite self-care hacks for you to try this month – show your participation and tag us on Instagram!
Masks all around
Face masks, hair masks, hand masks – you name it. This method of self-care is specifically catered to making you feel that extra bit luxurious amid a year of stress and chaos. You can purchase these at your local drugstore, or even curate your own masks in the kitchen from natural ingredients. These are a great way to nourish your physical features; to give your hair a shine, your skin extra softness and your face a nourished glow. Be aware of certain ingredients – with some quick research you can find the best kinds of masks depending on your skin type (more oily or dry etc.), otherwise it can become irritating – and that’s the total opposite of the comfort we want you to enjoy!
Give a little love (candles, cards, jewellery, gratitude list)
As mentioned, now is the best time of the year to show your appreciation for the little things that your friends and family do for you upon instinct – things that your routine couldn’t do without. Some loving ideas for ways of showing gratitude can include seasonal gifts for colleagues and friends: this means lovely hand-written cards, personally selected scented candles or maybe coupons for a mini haul at their favourite store.
For deeper expressions of affection amongst close family and friends, you have a fair choice between homemade types of gifts and more material items. You could create a light-hearted gratitude list, expressing that you recognise all the support you are given, and that you are more than grateful for the person in your life. You could create a collage book of images and tokens of memory between you and a significant person in your life – to keep the former memories of joy all in one place. Alternatively, in a more material sense, perhaps buy a succinct piece of jewellery that you know someone would love and wear for eternity!
Film fest
We know the situation is more complex this year because of the corona virus, however you can still hold a classic film marathon fest with your loved ones. If you aren’t in a bubble with friends or family, zoom or Skype them and share the screen for an evening of laughter or rom-com tears. This can be a great way to re-connect with people you love and truly allow yourself to be comfortable in conversation, especially if you are obligated conduct formal conversation in your working environment. Your mental wellbeing is heavily reliant on expressing your emotions – and connecting through art mediums can be a super fun way to do this. Make sure this is paired with physical comfort: a cosy blanket, popcorn and your laptop charger in case your devices are low on battery. We all like a movie cliff-hanger – but not in that sense.
Online shopping therapy
This is a personal favourite (for obvious reasons) – who doesn’t love seasonal shopping? Bulk deals, sales, and collection openings. Because of these price alterations, there really is no excuse not to get some efficient online shopping done that will suffice for the next year – for both formal occasions and simply for loungewear. Going out and physically purchasing items at this time poses both massive health risks to you and others, but is additionally just much more tiring and doesn’t accommodate the physical element of self-care. Shopping online comes with many benefits over in-person pursuits: there’s no deadline for your purchases where stores may close, you can browse an item for longer and you can compare items and their prices from different brands online. You could make this fun by looking with a friend or family member if you prefer shopping with the opinion of other people; to make sure your choices are truly a good investment.
Winter Walks and Hot Baths
We know that the cold weather can tempt you to stay indoors with a hot cup of chai and woolly socks. However, it’s fundamentally important for your body and mind to get at least an hour of fresh air every single day. Going outside and inhaling fresh oxygen is important for the muscle contractions of your lungs and subsequently keeping them clear and healthy. In addition, exhalation whilst walking is important for releasing airborne toxins to improve the quality of your wellbeing. Walks with fresh air are also generally commended to spark a brighter state of mind, improving your ability to concentrate and naturally giving you more energy.
At the same time, we don’t want you to head back inside and freeze until the radiator accommodates you. Hot steamy baths, with some ginger-scented candles, can be one of the best ways to release stress or residual energy, and really relax your body and mind. You could read, play some music or simply meditate. But keep a timer on – you should stay in a hot bath for around 30 minutes. If you wish to remain longer, take an interval and drink some water before going back in.
Catch Up On Sleep!
In the time that you have to prioritise your sleeping schedule that has probably been all over the place this year, catch up on your sleep. Whether it’s a 20-minute power nap, weekend lie-in or even adjusting your schedule to falling asleep earlier; we all need our sufficient daily dose of a good night’s rest. Our physical and mental health is fundamentally reliant on three things: sleep, hydration and food. With the right amount of sleep, and extra rest, we feel more proactive in energy and our immune functions are naturally improved. ‘Sleep Debt’ is a common inference about the difference between the amount of sleep you should get, compared to what you actually complete. Take a look at some methods for falling asleep easily or for insomnia – but make it a priority.