4 Tips To Take Care of Yourself Over The Holidays

We are already in December and before you know it Christmas and New Year's will be upon us.

The stress of the holidays can overwhelm anyone. Our everyday routines are disrupted and even the best of us can find that we are losing track of our normal, healthy habits. It’s fine to let ourselves enjoy the holidays, but the problem is when it starts affecting us negatively.

The holiday season can often be stressful. Over-indulging during festivities, not getting enough sleep, stress from planning events and buying gifts are all common problems we experience. So if you find yourself struggling with any of these, here are some tips for you take care of yourself over the holidays:

1. Boost Your Skincare Routine
   When we are stressed, don’t sleep enough and eat a bit too much sugar or salt during the holidays, the first thing to react visibly is our skin. To avoid breakouts or dry skin, it could be worth trying a few new things to make sure you keep your skin healthy and glowing through the holidays.
   
   Consider switching to all natural skincare products. Check the ingredients in your products and if you’ve realized there’s something there that doesn’t look quite right, it might be time for a swap. Our favourites to maintain good skin are our Face Serum, great for combating sensitive, aging or dry skin. Jojoba Oil as a natural moisturizer which also protects the skin, and Tamanu Oil, which is known to help with anti-aging, skin irritations and inflammation.
   
   
2. Stay Hydrated
   With Christmas themed drinks and endless opportunities to eat out this holiday period, it’s easy to feel like you’re getting your liquids in without actually hydrating properly.
   
   Nothing beats what water can do for our skin so aim to start the day with a glass of water. Anytime you’re eating out, get a glass of water with your meal and don’t let yourself go more than 2 hours without rehydrating (especially if you’ve been occupied socializing or enjoying holiday treats!). When we keep busy, it’s even easier to let a whole afternoon pass without rehydrating.
   
   
3. Being Mindful of Our Meals
   It’s easy to fall in the trap of thinking that we need to load up and enjoy the seasonal meals now before the holidays are over, but it doesn’t mean we need to stuff our faces till we can’t move! A great way to enjoy a holiday feast without eating till our stomachs hurt is to manage what we consume outside of these meals.
   
   Instead of skipping meals on the day of a big party, making a nutrient dense breakfast would help control how much we feel like eating once we’re sitting at the dinner table. This will also help curb the cravings we get when we start to feel hungry so you’re more likely to make better decisions when dining at a holiday event.
   
   
4. Getting Better Quality Sleep
   We believe the one gift you can always give your loved ones and yourself, is the gift of good sleep. Better sleep means feeling fresh throughout the day, less tired, less agitated and in general more alive and ready to accept everything coming your way. Even during the holiday season when things can get much busier, we can implement a few steps to make sleep some easier and more restful for us.
   
   In addition to setting aside electronics an hour before you go to bed, turn on a diffuser with your favourite essential oils to promote better sleep (we recommend Lavender, Bergamot and Mint), prevent yourself from consuming caffeine late in the day, and our personal favourite – try out our Sweet Dreams Gift Set which includes a Lavender Pillow Spray and handsewn Eye Mask for better sleep.

If after reading this post, you're wondering "what are essential oils" and how to use them, we have another blog post all about Essential Oils right here!