This holiday season is like no other. We’ve lived through 2020 and 2021 and have plenty to tell about it. Whew! Put the “Me” back in Merry with these 30 AWESOME self-care tips for the holidays. Free Holiday Planner and infographic!
But seriously, do you feel dragged through the mud, beaten down and uneasy about 2022? Do you usually find yourself getting colds or flu at this time of year? That’s a sign of you needing a bit of self-compassion. You need to practice some self-care and I’m here to give you a BUNCH of ideas and PERMISSION to give these gifts of time, treasure and talent to yourself! You’re worth it! Yes, you are!
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30 AWESOME Holiday Self-Care Tips
Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner and life is not as it once was. Can you say stressful? Shopping is a bit different. Black Friday crowds—I don’t think so! And, maybe you’ve had a furlough or have lost your job.
If anything, this is more of a reason to take care of yourself spiritually, mentally and physically. God created you and you are unique, valued and special to Him. Do you think of yourself like He does? You need to think of yourself and keep care of your person in the forefront in order to enjoy this time of year. I’ve got some ideas for the spiritual side of things as well as the physical and mental. Here we go:
Let’s start with the spiritual. Cuz that’s my favorite thing <3
Is spending time quietly in God’s Word happening as often as you like or is it a struggle to set aside that time? What if you committed a solid 15 minutes in the morning or evening for a bit of devotional time? Sure, having hours to spend would be AMAZING! But, if you can’t do that, should you just omit it altogether and give up? I think not.
Try using The Ultimate Bible Study Toolkit to hone in on multiple ways to study in just 15 minutes a day. You’ll see substantial peace in your heart, more joy and trust as you add up those 15 minutes each day. Minutes turn to hours and hours turn to days. . .
Taking time to read God’s Word always fills me with peace, purpose and a sense of wellness. I can hear Him saying to me, “I’m in control—of everything. You don’t need to worry.” It helps me to lay down my burdens, lay down the stress that’s building, and rest in Him. No matter what the future holds, He’s got me. The stress melts and slides off and my soul is nourished and refreshed. That’s spiritual self-care. Yay!
“What version of the Bible should I read? There are so many!”
ESV Journaling Bible
I really like the ESV journaling Bible because it has lined side columns on every page for me to jot down notes and prayers. I also use it for Bible journaling. If you’re interested in finding out more about Bible journaling, I’ve written posts here and here. The Inspire Bible adds the creative side, take a look at that here.
Inspire Praise Bible
“What should I read?”
When I’m struggling with anything, my go-to place to read is in the Psalms. David and the other authors of those Psalms wrote from human experience. Their lives were no different than ours. They struggled with temptation, pain, suffering, attack from enemies and much more. The connection to my own life is always there and God speaks words of comfort through them as I read.
Try using the printable worksheets in The Ultimate Bible Study Toolkit to connect with any passage of scripture. You can even assemble all the pages of study into your own personal Bible Study Notebook to help you remember what you learned.
Pray
One thing that I’ve found helpful when I’m struggling is to sit down and ask myself a few questions. My goal is to get to the heart of what’s causing me unrest or spiritual burn-out. I’m by no means a psychologist, but this is what works for me. Maybe it will help you too.
- What is causing me to feel ______________(fear, worry, sadness, discontent, exhaustion, etc.)?
- What if ______________happens? Or what’s the worst that can happen?
- And if ____________ happens, then what?
- Will God still be with me, provide for me, protect me, and comfort me if ____________ happens?
The answer to that last question is a resounding YES. No matter what I go through, He is never going to abandon me and leave me to flounder. He will do the same with you.
I like to have a group of verses as my go to that bring me back to a place of understanding who God is, and the promises that He gives to His children.
When I go through the above exercise and boil it down to what is truly causing my spirit to be troubled and tired, He is always faithful to use His Word to get me back to center. Back to restored spiritual fullness and peace.
Praying the promises of His Word as they apply to me is like breathing in restoration and exhaling away all my heaviness and trouble.
If you’re looking for a few promises, take a look at these few passages as a jumping off point:
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
“What about my physical exhaustion?”
If you’re helping your kids with eLearning or working all day, you’re needing to keep your physical bucket full. Whenever I look at ideas for self-care, what I see is women in a bubble bath or getting a facial. Those things are nice, but they aren’t always attainable or something that fills you up.
Since we’re talking about what you can do during the holidays to keep your battery fully charged, some of these ideas are really fun and can be done on your own, be shared as a family or with friends. These are great to pump you up and give you more energy.
- Make hot cocoa with marshmallows. Don’t forget the whipped cream!
- You give so much to others, give yourself a gift that brings you joy
- Want something a little more active? How about going ice skating or go outside and have a snowball fight. Here’s an awesome snowball maker:)
- While you’re outside enjoying the splendor, make a snowman
- Love the way your place looks around the holidays? Take an afternoon to decorate—hang those stockings with care😊
Starbucks Hot Cocoa-Yum
Snowball Maker
Christmas Stocking Hangers
- And, while you’re decorating, play some great Christmas music—loud. Lol
- Donate to a local food pantry. You can shop from your pantry or get a list of their needs and head to the store.
- Take an evening drive and see all the Christmas lights. This is great for social distancing too.
- Strive to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night
- Speaking of sleep, you have permission to take a nap or three!
“How about mental burnout?”
Around the holidays, we have so many more things on our to-do list than the off-season. That’s for sure! There’s a lot more to remember, keep track of and have the energy to pull it all together. It can tend to make your brain tired (my non-medical diagnosis. Ha).
So, I made a free Holiday Self-Care Planner to give you all the tools you need to accomplish much, with less mental fatigue. You’ll be able to whiz through the holidays, fun tools in hand and actually enjoy the season!
There are 26 pages of great printables from a budget tool, recipe planner, gift guides and a lot of other goodies. To get you started with some self-care to beat mental burn-out, try some of these:
- Cozy up under a soft blanket and watch your favorite Christmas movie. Better yet, binge watch a few!
- Burn a holiday scented candle. My favorite scent is Balsam & Cedar.
- Volunteer to help someone. Does someone need help decorating, shopping, wrapping?
- Slip into a favorite cozy sweater and scarf. Something soft that makes you feel good.
- Listen to an uplifting podcast that feeds your soul.
- Get outside and enjoy fresh air. Try going to an orchard for apple picking.
Alright. If you need more ideas to care for you, you definitely can find something else on this list!
Eat dinner by candlelight—pretend your power is out.
Give yourself a little gift or two. I’ve got some ideas here. Insert gift guide link
Take a walk.
Spend within your budget when purchasing gifts. It really helps with stress later on especially.
Declutter in anticipation for new things coming in.
Allow yourself permission to say no. Take time to slow down.
Turn off your device and have an unplugged evening—read, listen to music, sit on the porch . . .
Keep decorating minimal.
Phone a friend and have a fun conversation. Laughter is good medicine!
Journal your thoughts, aspirations, dreams, frustrations. Just get it all out.
Recount all your blessings. Once you start, you’ll be surprised how many there are.
Along those same lines, what are you thankful for? Share those with someone you love.
Think about the people in your life. Who do you love? Pour out love on them and be blessed in return.
Spend time creating something. Drawing, lettering, crafting, writing, renewing something. You’ve got some talent in there—enjoy it.
I hope you’ve found this helpful and that you make taking care of yourself a priority during the holiday season. Download my 26 page Holiday Planner for all the tools as well as a great infographic with 30 of the Best Self-Care Tips for the Holidays.
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