Take Time For Self Care This Christmas

Unless you’ve been seriously avoiding all social media and news outlets, Christmas being cancelled has been the event of the week. It’s laughable that we all thought we’d be back in pubs and clubs at the end of summer, but here we are all locked down again. Daily life has become a new normal, whilst this isn’t the ideal normal finding ways to adapt to this new lockdown and the stress that comes with it are more important than ever.
 
Many of us are feeling more stress now more than ever, this should be one of the best times of the year but the festive cheer has come to an abrupt halt. We are in a full-blown pandemic, feeling new emotions are a natural reaction to these strange and ‘unprecedented’ times. 
 
If you’ve been feeling more stressed than usual, remember that given the situation that is totally normal. Whilst admitting it’s ‘normal’ may not fix much, hopefully these tips and tricks can! 
 
Keep Parts Of Old Routines
This step may be harder if you’ve had to move home or your daily life has been completely flipped upside down, but professions suggest that keeping up old routines can add structure and comfort to your daily life. This could be something as small as watching an episode of TV at the same time every day to calling a family member. Routines don’t have to be work based, but repeating an action is great to keep the mind occupied and to stay calm. 

Get Some Sleep!
I know this tip always seems to pop up on lists like these, but seriously – sleep is important. Not being able to sleep is awful, but try not to let your sleeping pattern slip into the early hours of the morning. This is easy to accidentally do, especially if you’re not working or at college, but keeping a standard sleep hour can boost your mood in the day.
 
Go Walking
Exercise is difficult this year, gyms are open… and then they’re not. Some may be avid fans of the home workout, but I know that they’re not everyone’s cup of tea. Try to walk once a day, this walk doesn’t have to be long and impressive, even if you’re just popping to the shops and back your body will get moving and you’ll feel better. 
 
Eat Well
Around this time of year there are treats everywhere, however remember to get a healthy balance of lots of water, fruits and veggies too. This is not to say don’t eat all the snacks – do! Just take into account moderation; your body and brain need those good vitamins to function.
 
Do Something That Makes You Smile
Sometimes taking time and doing something that we actually enjoy makes us feel guilty. We live in a world obsessed with productivity and work, so when it comes to cheering ourselves up with some chill out time, it can feel like you can’t fully relax as you feel like you should be doing something else. Well, we are here to say you do deserve time to relax and do whatever makes you smile – especially as it’s the holidays!
 
If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or visit their website here.
 

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