12 Days of Self-Care for the Holidays
As rewarding and joyful as the holiday season can get, preparing for the holidays can become quite stressful. Between hosting family dinners, shopping for gifts, attending events, and completing your other responsibilities, you don't have much time left for yourself. All while your teen spends their Christmas break on the couch shifting from screen to screen throughout the day. Dedicating time to take care of yourself during the holidays is just as important as preparing and celebrating the festive season. Get into the holiday spirit by participating in 12 days of self-care both you and your teen will enjoy this holiday season!
Day 1: Set a Holiday Schedule
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Teens tend to fall out of their routines during the holiday break, they go to bed late and wake up at noon. Setting a holiday routine will make the transition from the holidays easier when it’s time for your teen to return to school. Planning out your holiday schedule will also ensure you can manage your time and prioritize self-care among all your holiday events. When you create your schedule, plan your self-care activities when you don't have any other distractions.
Day 2: Do Something Creative
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Incorporating creativity into your self-care days has many benefits to both your physical and mental health. There are several ways you can get your creative juices flowing during the holidays. Gather your family together for a night of decorating ornaments, making Christmas cards, dressing up your stocking with accessories, or creating your own Christmas wreath. You can even take it a step further and create some thoughtful DIY gifts.
Day 3: Read
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The holidays are the perfect time to finally read the new book that has been sitting on your bookshelf for months. Reading has various benefits to your health but most importantly, it is a great way to reduce stress. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, throw on your favourite pajamas, and get cozy with a book to unwind after a long day of holiday activities. The holidays are also a valuable opportunity to get your teen to take a break from their screens and relax with a good book. Re-reading one of the books from her Girl Gang Strong subscription box is always a great option.
Day 4: Random Act of Kindness/Giving Back
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Giving back and committing random acts of kindness not only raises the spirits of others, it also makes you happy and boosts your self-esteem. While giving back to the community is common during the holidays, doing something nice for others is a beneficial self-care activity for the whole family. There are several ways you can spread kindness and give back this holiday. Some of the most common include:
- Donate food to a food bank
- Donate toys to children’s hospitals
- Donate items to a shelter
- Make a blanket or scarf for someone
- Make holiday cards for sick children or nursing homes
- Reach out to people who might be spending the holidays alone
Day 5: Engage in Outdoor Activities
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If the weather permits, engaging in some winter activities is a fun way to get the whole family moving. You can build a snowman, go skating, or start a snowball fight during the day. At night you can get into some holiday pajamas and go for a drive to see all the Christmas lights in the neighbourhood or visit one of the Christmas lights drive-thrus in your city. This is not only a great opportunity to spend time together, but also get your teen out of the house during the winter break.
Day 6: Watch your Favourite Holiday Films
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Who doesn’t like snuggling up in their Christmas pajamas with some egg nog or hot chocolate for a Christmas movie marathon?! Getting the family together to watch your favourite Christmas films or enjoy some new ones is a holiday self-care activity that both you and your teen will appreciate.
Day 7: Yoga
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Yoga is another form of self-care that benefits both your physical and mental well-being. Since the holidays can become stressful for both you and your teen, yoga can help you slow down and relax both your mind and body. Dedicate time for yoga in your holiday routine to reset and avoid burnout or fatigue.
Day 8: Have a DIY Spa Night
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Another great self-care idea is hosting a DIY spa night to pamper yourself and spend some quality time with your teen! Grab your favourite masks, bath bombs, lotions, candles, and your favourite self-care products from your Girl Gang Strong box. Put on a soothing Christmas playlist, podcast, or read a new book while you unwind.
Day 9: Bake Some Holiday Treats
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Baking is an excellent form of self-care because it lets you be creative, accomplish something new, and helps ease your mind from the growing number of tasks on your to-do list. Get your teen involved and try some healthy recipes. You can also put on your favourite holiday songs and sing along while you make your treats. If you want to get the whole family involved, make it a fun competition where everyone decorates a gingerbread cookie or gingerbread house.
Day 10: Watch Old Photos/Home Videos
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The holidays are the best time to revisit the special moments in your life and share a laugh with your loved ones. Pull out those old family photo albums and home videos you’ve made with your family and teen. Show your teen her Christmas mornings when she was younger and how she used to celebrate for some funny memories. If you have them in your collection, pull out your photos and videos of when you were a child to share with your teen. You can also share some of your stories and holiday traditions you did when you were their age.
Day 11: Write a Letter to Yourself
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Since the holidays are at the end of the year, this is the perfect time to reflect on the past year, your goals, your accomplishments, and your failures. As a self-care activity, this is also a great time to express gratitude and be kind to yourself. Write about the things you are proud of, the things you love about yourself, and the things you’d love to work on in the upcoming year.
Day 12: Set Goals
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Now that you’ve reflected on the past year, it is time to plan your goals and habits for the following year. This is not only a great way to set the tone for the upcoming year but setting and reaching your goals are also great confidence boosters. Get your teen to join you by creating a vision board for the year. You can make a digital one on Canva and save it to your phone or create a physical vision board by gathering images and displaying them in your room as a reminder and motivation she can look at everyday.
Happy Holidays Girl Gang!