In December we face two big influences on our wellbeing...
Firstly, the short winter days meaning most of us are going to and from work in the dark. The annual scourge of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) starting to take hold in some of us, although somewhat mitigated by the twinkling lights of Christmas trees and decorations and the increasing social occasions meaning most of us are out with friends, families and colleagues.
Secondly, we have rising stress levels with the organising of families, travelling to see people and deadlines at work, pressures to provide endless piles of presents for loved ones and ensure that those around us are all ok.Tiredness may start to kick in after the first week of December, and yet you still have 3 weeks to go and numerous other social gatherings to attend. With the dwindling daylight sapping your energy levels as well, it may seem like a daunting road ahead.
So how can we be help ourselves to get through the festive season with our sanity intact and our health not taking too much of a hit. As we’ve discussed in previous articles, wellness is about balance in all aspects of our life – the physical, emotional, spiritual, social, occupational and intellectual – so let’s apply this to Christmas!
Firstly, look after the physical – eat well, but you don’t have to over do it! Get out for walks each day preferably in the countryside or around nature this is known to boost mood and your sense of wellbeing. Massage is a great way to help keep those aches and pains at bay and gives you some time for yourself.
The emotional aspect of yourself can be helped by delegating! Get everyone on board with helping to prepare dinners, wrap presents and keeping the house tidy. Identify your stressors and then put a plan in place to deal with the issues as they arise. Try practicing mindfulness each day, even if it’s just 15 minutes to yourself to focus on your breathing and clear your mind.
With the spiritual side of yourself at Christmas – the message is to be kind! To yourself, and those less fortunate. Give back by helping homeless people who will be lucky if they even get a turkey dinner on Christmas day.
The social aspect has two sides – for those alone this Christmas – it’s important to have a plan in place. Ask a neighbour or friend to drop by for a hot drink each day to maintain some social contact. Stock up on the things you enjoy, hobbies or food or drink treats. When you have an endless list of engagements in December – this is a time to acknowledge how you are feeling, and don’t feel bad about cancelling some of those mid-week drinks if you are starting to flag.
For those technology junkies give your occupational self a break – turn off the work emails while you aren’t at work. You don’t need to reply because the chances are your recipient is not at work either!
Give your intellectual self a challenge when looking for gifts – buy local, think about what a person would really like or need, we all know that the worlds resources are under great challenges through our throw-away culture and lack of appreciation of the impact of plastics and production processes on the environment and our wildlife.
Back to Balance, a wellness centre offering the best in holistic treatments for body, mind and soul. Our vouchers have 10% off for Christmas when purchased up until 21st December.
Wishing you a merry Christmas!
