Hello friends, wow does anyone feel like I do at the moment? Busy!

Christmas is just around the corner, and each year it seems to come along faster than the one before.  At this time of year, I often think work should be slowing down towards the festive period but this is just never the case.  Things get busy at work and at home – it certainly feels like that to me and I wonder if it does for you too.

Thinking about the gifts for loved ones, shopping for gifts and food, Christmas and New Year parties, organising your diaries so you get to see all the people that are important to you, writing Christmas cards, planning the big day dinner, phew, it’s no wonder life feels hectic.

There have been many times in the past that I can recall where people have told me that they always get ill over the festive period.  This is not surprising, we are on overdrive and it’s overwhelming, I suppose at some point our immune systems can no longer cope and bang – that cold arrives on Christmas eve, just when you need or want to be at your very best.

So this last week, I started to think about what strategies might help us stay well so that we can have the best festive break, the break each and every one of us deserves.

Now, I didn’t want to get all philosophical about this and push things that are totally undoable that put us under even more pressure, so these are my reasonably easy and effective ways to take a well-deserved break and re-centre ourselves.  I hope they resonate with you:

1.       Get out into nature – research tells us that the best thing we can do for our health is to spend time outdoors especially first thing in the morning, as the light helps to regulate our circadian rhythm.   So why not make time to go for a walk, even if it’s only for 10 minutes?  Use the time to pay attention to your surroundings; the sights, sounds, and smells – make it a really sensory experience, it helps you to switch off from what is going on at the moment.

2.     Eat healthily – the month of December can be decadent, with lots of party food, sweets, and chocolates in the office, mince pies become the staple snack and indulgence.  But all of these things can add strain on our minds and bodies.  Make time to eat a healthy breakfast – my go-to is a healthy porridge and instead of a sandwich and crisps at lunchtime, why not swap it out for a healthy salad, and in between snack on healthy fruit, salad, and vegetables?

3.     Stay hydrated – staying hydrated throughout the day can easily slip when we are busy – I know I’m guilty of it myself.  Shopping for gifts and forgetting for hours to even take a sip of water.  Or those Christmas parties where we may overindulge in alcoholic drinks which can also take its toll on our levels of hydration. So keep the water bottles at hand and take regular sips throughout the day and consider swapping out those dehydrating caffeinated drinks for herbal or fruit teas.

4.     Take a deliberate pause – yes, you heard me – stop and take a moment. Try to think about slowing down, maybe setting aside a time of the day or week when you only focus on yourself.  I personally love pyjama days – so think about building these in, if you cannot spare a day, remember a quiet evening at home relaxing with a book or watching your favourite Christmas movie can help us relax.

5.     Ask for help – yes, really, you don’t have to do everything yourself.  Think about spending some time writing a list and think about who else can help to lighten the load for you.  If you have lots of family and friends over on Christmas day or New Year’s eve/day, think about how others can help you, by bringing ready-prepared food or coming early to help with preparations and definitely not forgetting the washing up afterwards – after all, the last thing you want is to feel so exhausted you don’t get a chance to enjoy being with loved ones.

6.     Sleep – this one had to be on my list.  On top of all the hustle and bustle, the last thing we should compromise on is a good night’s sleep. Try to get your optimum sleep, as regularly as possible.  Give yourself time to unwind for at least an hour before bedtime to ensure your mind is still not racing from the day’s events or what you need to get done the next day.  Think about what works well for you, perhaps just sitting and writing a list of what you want to get done the next day would be helpful. 

I hope these pointers help, and I realise they are easier said (written) than done – I know I am the same, but remember, you owe it to yourself. 

So on to sharing my favourite things this week:

Photo of the Week

Quote of the Week

Question of the Week

And my question to you all this week is – what are you doing or going to do, in order to make the festive season as easy as possible?

Thank you for reading, I really look forward to hearing your answers, perhaps we can share some tips. 

Bye for now. Jackie