With the strange year we have found ourselves in, I have decided to do an alternative advent calendar this year (although do feel free to have another advent calendar as well as joining in with this one).
Below I will list 24 different self-care activities which you can do as we go through December. If there are any that don’t take your fancy, then please feel free to repeat another one, or even choose your own. If you have any other ideas do pop them in the comments below so others can also try out your favourite activities! If you want to do them in a different order then that is fine too; what is important is that you make time for yourself every day.
1. To start your self-care month, you need to give yourself permission to practice self-care each day, by allotting a 30 minute slot to self-care; you could do this on a weekly basis if you plan your week in advance, but even the night before is fine; it just has to work for you!
2. Have a long soak in the bath, or an extra long shower using your toiletries you save for
special occasions.
3. Curl up with a book or magazine and switch off from the world.
4. Review your social media accounts and unfollow people who don’t serve you (you don’t
have to unfriend that annoying person, but just unfollow them so they don’t show in your
feed!)
5. Take time to really enjoy a cup of tea or coffee (or another drink of your choice). Drink it
mindfully, using as many of your senses as possible (there is a recording in the on-demand
area to guide you through this).
6. Declutter your wardrobe – or even just a drawer – take time to clear what no longer serves you to make space for new things.
7. Try a yoga or pilates class; they are great for connecting the mind and body. There are
recordings in the on-demand area, or you can find another to follow. Remember, if you
haven’t done this style of class before, do find a beginner’s class.
8. Get an early night!
9. Book yourself a massage, facial, hair or nail appointment, make up session, or something
else to pamper you…. If it is not appropriate at this time you could even get a partner to do it…
10. Stick on some music and dance (or do a Groovy Glutes session)!
11. Have a day without social media (or even a few hours if that is really too hard for you)!
12. Listen to a guided relaxation and see what a difference it can make. There are a few for you to choose from in the on-demand area, or you can choose your own.
13. As we are now half way through start to think how you will incorporate self-care into your
everyday life – think about what you have enjoyed so far, what you would like to try again,
and what didn’t work for you. Even if you can’t do much self-care every day, find time for
something small, and at least once a week, have an hour of self-care to help recharge your
batteries.
14. Do something that you used to enjoy doing but haven’t done in a while.
15. Go for a mindful walk – so walk without distractions, using your senses to see, hear, smell etc what is going on around you. Again, there is a recording in the on-demand area which can guide you through this.
16. Buy yourself something you love but wouldn’t usually buy, such as flowers, chocolates, bath bomb etc (It doesn’t have to be expensive).
17. Start saying “No” to things that don’t serve you, or that you don’t have time to do – be kind to yourself.
18. Do an exercise class – any style that takes your fancy!
19. Today’s the day to do that thing that’s been on your to do list for ages, and you keep putting it off, even though you know you have to do it. Get it done and feel the sense of relief and a weight lifted from your shoulders.
20. Organise to meet up with someone (virtually if necessary) that you haven’t seen for a while and have been meaning to catch up with.
21. Try something new – a different hobby, class, a podcast, a recipe – it doesn’t matter what it is, just something you haven’t done before….
22. Watch a feel-good film – maybe your favourite Christmas/holiday season movie or get
recommendations from others.
23. Take time to focus on your breathing and see how such a simple thing could be all you need to calm yourself. There is a 3-minute breathing exercise in the on-demand area.
24. Write down at least three things that you are grateful for so far this month and try and add an extra item each evening over the holidays.