5 Things You Can Do to Take Care of Yourself during the Holidays

Give the gift of you, to you.

You guys. The holidays are my favoritest time of year (that’s not a word by the way). But OH. MY. GOODNESS are they stressful. There are a million and one things to do: so many presents to buy, so much to get done at work, and then there are events to go to and people to see, and it’s all wonderful, but it can take its toll, and one day you just sleep all day because, well, you’re exhausted.

We’ve been doing a kind-of-advent-calendar on Instagram (if you can call it that), full of things to help keep you happy and healthy throughout the holiday season, and I wanted to share a couple here. Here are just five ways for you to avoid ending up burnt out on January 1st.

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Give yourself 5 extra minutes in bed

Go on, you earned it. You need those five extra minutes. And we’re not talking ‘set your alarm five minutes later than usual’, we’re talking ‘five minutes of uninterrupted snooze time’. Just lay there, all warm, between the sheets, thinking about how nice it is to have five more minutes in your happy place.

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Do 8 jumping jacks

I totally get that this might not sound quite as fun as the five extra minutes in bed, but I mean, we’re only asking you to do eight. It’s quick, and it’s exercise. Do it as fast or slow as you’d like.

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Write down 10 things you like about your body

No excuses on this one. It’s not about whether or not you’re a certain size or shape, or if you fit in those jeans, or another pair; your body is awesome. It’s awesome not just because of what it looks like, but because of what it can do. Learning to fall in love with yourself is part of cultivating a healthy attitude towards heath and fitness. I like my legs.

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Go outside for 15 minutes

You do too have time. And your body will thank you sooner or later. Breathe in the fresh air, take in the view, go for a walk, get outside. It’s just 15 minutes, then you can rush back inside and drink a cup of hot chocolate.

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Read 10 pages of your favorite book

You might not have time to read the whole thing but you definitely have time for a few pages. Make your favorite holiday beverage, sit yourself in the best chair in the house and curl up for a few minutes. Who knows, you might have time for more than ten pages?

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/Femi, The Girl Who Hates Working Out

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