Holiday Guide to Health and Happiness

It’s November and the holidays are upon us! And so are all the stresses and expectations that come with! But that doesn’t have to be the case. This season experience the true essence of the holidays. What matters most to you? How can you enjoy yourself, and the ones around you without being bombarded by all the pressures that can come with the holidays?

• Cozy times

Self-care is hugely important, especially if you tend to spend all your time working or caretaking for others. This holiday, reserve time with a cup of warm tea and a blanket. Lite up some aroma therapeutic candles and indulge in a good book. Fill up your tub with oils, bath bombs, and muscle-relaxing Epsom salts. Give yourself the gift of renewing and rejuvenating in the sweetness and calmness of the holiday spirit.

• Nurturing relationships

Holidays are meant as times when the world can come together in peace, share wholesome relationships, and celebrate with joy together. In order to achieve such a high standard of connectivity and harmony with those around us, we must put in the effort. Call up an old friend out of the blue. Write a letter of appreciation to a grandparent or family member. Strike up a friendly conversation with a stranger. We all need little love once in a while, and we all need to give it just as much.

• Gifts!

So many of us get caught up in the expectations of a ‘Pinterest perfect’ holiday with perfect family gatherings (with no craziness) and parties, and the perfect gifts! We blow our budgets left and right in order to fulfill this ‘social norm’. Gifts can be one of the leading causes to stress around the holidays. How else can we show someone we care for them without having to fulfill such a high demand? Let your creativity flourish and get crafty. Think quality over quantity. Give the gift of an experience rather than material. How about a vacation? A trip to the spa with the ladies? A special day with the kids? Cook a fine meal for a friend and enjoy it over some nice red and lots of laughter.