Who’s ready to get all cosy?!! Except, there’s a million things to do first….
If this sounds familiar, then hopefully these tips will help you to create a little more comfort and joy in the run-up to the festive season.
Plan a festive bucket list. Before the calendar gets too busy, have a think about the experiences that you want to have this year, and what memories you want to make. It could involve taking in a Christmas market, or festive afternoon tea with friends. Or a special date night somewhere cosy, or where you can get glammed up. Plan the date in the diary with those involved so that you have something lovely to look forward to.
Don’t feel you need to say yes to every invitation. We are still all getting used to socialising again, and perhaps some of us are still cautious about gatherings, so plan your diary carefully. If there is an event coming up that fills you with dread rather than excitement, consider whether you really want to go. There are often events that we feel obliged to go to, particularly around work or with family/in-laws, but if you know it’s going to be particularly stressful or difficult, make a polite excuse and take some time for yourself instead.
Use the quiet times wisely. You might want to make a head start on some planning, before things get really busy. Start your wrapping early. Write shopping lists for food and/or presents, or start buying a few bits to get ahead. Doing little and often will buy you a bit of extra time and avoid any last minute panic.
Take care of yourself. Try and get into a good routine now with healthy meals, plenty of water and regular exercise. Sounds obvious, but taking care of yourself can help to boost your immune system and reduce the risk of feeling run down, or picking up a cold or bug. I’m a big fan of homemade soup, and usually make a big pot which lasts a few days – it’s also a great way to get some extra veggies in too.
Do something the ‘future you’ will thank you for. If you know that you have a particularly busy week coming up, or maybe you’ll be working right up, or over Christmas, book in some self-care now. Block out some time in your calendar that you’ll commit to keeping free, or book an appointment for some pampering. Often we forget to do things for ourselves at this busy time of year, so planning something for yourself now will make future you very happy.
Start daydreaming for 2022. It’s probably not the time for a big goal-setting session with everything else that you’ll have going on, but you might want to start thinking about what you want the next year to hold. Holiday, new job, fitness goal? Starting to imagine what you want to achieve is the first step in making dreams a reality, so allow yourself a few minutes to daydream.
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