6 ways to look after your mental health over Christmas

 Well hello to you my reader chums! Christmas is nearly here and although it's not the festivities we were planning for and I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen over the festive period, it's important now more than ever to put your mental health first.

For me, although Christmas is a happy time and it's filled with joy, it also holds a lot of pressure. There's so much pressure on being happy the entire time, on presents, and having the best day ever that often, I have a lot of anxiety around the holiday.

5 ways to look after your mental health over Christmas

However, there are some things I've done over the years to really look after my mental health at Christmas, and here are my top 6 tips: 

Planning is key

One of the big pressures around Christmas is present shopping and ensuring you see everyone. Although this year seeing everyone physically may not be possible and it can take away that pressure, the virtual option is still there. My best way to keep this under wraps is to plan as much as you can and stay organised. When it comes to presents, I like to make the list as early as October with ideas of presents and how much money I'm going to spend. This will give me time to plan and shop but also figure out how much money I need to put aside each month to be able to afford Christmas.

The social aspect of Christmas I find intense as there is always so much family and friends to see during that period, it's like the time everyone comes together. Even though this year, everyone wants to do just that and socialise, I feel there is more anxiety around it. The rules may be lifted and that means social events could happen but if you don't feel comfortable for your own safety, simply don't go. My advice would be to arrange virtual Christmas dates or parties online, or if we're able to, social events outside (that's pretty hard with the weather though.) Keep to the rules and do whatever you feel comfortable in, in whatever way shape, and form that comes in. Try and organise to talk to people but if you can't, arrange something in the new year - this will help take the pressure away from you.

Rest up as much as you can

At Christmas time, it's a time of year a lot of us take off work to relax and spend quality time with our families. But make sure during that period to also rest up and sleep. I don't just mean sleep, but really take the time to take a step back from the busy everyday life moments. Enjoy the slow movements, watching films in your pyjamas, and chilling out.

Be kind to yourself

You always need to look out for no1, yourself but especially during Christmas season. As although it's a period of great joy, it can also be a time of pressure and a triggering time for those who have mental illnesses. Take the time for yourself and be kind to yourself - it's okay not to be okay.

Practice your usual self-care routine

I can often find during the festive season, self-care is more important than ever. There's more to self-care than just bubble baths and face masks, it's about prioritising your mental health, setting boundaries, and listening to your body. Try and do this by practicing daily affirmations, resting when needed, and socialising when you feel like it.

Write a gratitude list every day

Chrismas is a beautiful time a year and it's a period where a lot of us express our gratitude more often. Keeping a gratitude journal is good mental health practice in general but, at Christmas when tensions can be high, it can be more important than ever. Each morning or night, write down a couple of things you're grateful for and read them every now and then, to keep more of a positive mindset.

Enjoy it as much as you can

Let's not forget, Christmas is the season for celebration and this year, in particular, is going to be harder than other years, so take it for what it is and try and enjoy it the best you can. In whatever shape or form the festivities will look like, it's a time for families to come together, to eat good food, and most importantly, share your love for one another.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What other tips do you have?

Thank you for reading <3

64 comments

  1. Hiii Della! I have to agree with you be kind to yourself, enjoy as much as you can and the gratitude list is definitely something to do or atleast in your notes in your phone. We must stay happy, be kind to other people and help others that need it most!


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  2. These are some great suggestions. Thank you for sharing.

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  3. It's so important to care for ourselves and those around us so that things do not get so stressful. Planning is an excellent idea and making sure that there is rest too, really great tips!

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  4. I try to write some things I am happy about every day. It really helps to focus your mind on the good! Great post x

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  5. These are all such great tips for looking after your mental health during this crazy Christmas time! Thanks so much for sharing!

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  6. Love the idea of writing a daily gratitude list! I love to plan ahead so the actual day is as smooth and enjoyable as possible. A little extra self-care also goes a long way.
    Thanks for sharing!

    Jaya | https://ninchronicles.com/

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  7. Self care is indeed important especially in such troubling times, and I always remind myself that taking care of myself, is in no way selfish of me. Thanks for this artcile1

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  8. I love this, great advice, I have been keeping a gratitude journal just on my phone and has found it really is helping. I struggle a lot when it gets dark so early so have been taking Vitamin D tablets too. Thank you for sharing, great post!

    ALittleKiran | Bloglovin

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  9. Christmas is so much fun, but it’s also definitely a time that people can feel pressured. These tips are great to manage that!

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  10. Great tips! I think that taking the time to rest over the festive period is so so important. It's essential to take time to yourself! :)

    https://www.femaleoriginal.com

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  11. What a great post! Totally agree that planning is the key. I've made a list this year of presents and how much money I've spent and it's really helped to keep me on track xx

    Hannah | https://luxuryblush.co.uk/

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  12. I love these ways of looking after your mental health over the Christmas period Della! It's so important to take things easy and just enjoy the festive period! x

    Lucy | www.lucymary.co.uk

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  13. These are some really great ways to look at it! I genuinely couldn't agree with you more I might have to start a gratitude list x

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  14. This is such a lovely post thank you for sharing it!! Gratitude is so important!

    Amber | The Unpredicted Page

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  15. These are all great tips! I think lockdown/ covid will actually help me a little this year with feeling less pressure in having to do everything/ see everyone etc. It's nice to be able to have more of a relaxed approach towards it all x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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    Replies
    1. Thank you!! Yes, I completely agree with you xx

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  16. Nice post!
    Such an inspiration, i love how you style them :)

    Love,
    R- Fashionable Moments of Jennie

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  17. So good share, I think it is very useful and good.
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  18. These are some wonderful suggestions for looking after mental health, im going to be resting for sure.

    Mel 🌙 | Moonlight Mel

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  19. These are great tips. Planning everything in advance is so helpful.

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  20. Thank you for this honest post! Constant effort to meet mood expectations can be exhausting. Planning and gratitude list are great ideas!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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  21. Thank you for the tips, we really need to be careful with out mental health!

    www.pimentamaisdoce.blogspot.com

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  22. Thank you so much for sharing all of these great tips. These are very helpful.

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  23. Thank you for sharing these tips, Christmas can often be a difficult time for our mental health so I'm sure many people will benefit from this post!

    Sophie | loveandliterature.co.uk

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  24. These are some great tips. I try to be live in the moment too and just enjoy the time as best I can. It goes so quickly and you can soon get back to your normal routine.

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  25. I am so excited for Christmas day already but I am already feeling a bit burnt out by it all. Thank you for the reminder to really look after ourselves this Christmas x x

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  26. Great tips and reminders, this is such an important post! Definitely important to show a little more kindness, it's been a long year.

    Anika | chaptersofmay.com

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  27. Great post with wonderful suggestions! My only add would be to try and exercise as much as you can, preferably outdoors as we approach the shortest days of the year.

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  28. Selfcare is so important, esp over the holidays. Great article!

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  29. This is such a great post. I think sometimes we can get so caught up that we forget to look after ourselves. Having a few days planned just to spend doing things you enjoy festive or not is so important.

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  30. Thanks for sharing, I will be looking after myself more this year, as we all have been through enough :)

    Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes

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  31. Very good points! I think we just need to appreciate this Christmas as much as we possibly can and look ahead to the positive things :)

    Coralle
    https://justcoralle.com

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  32. Such a great reminders, dear! I have to start writing gratitude list. I'm so bad with it. Thank you :D

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  33. Some really important things to remember this time of year - thankyou for the tips! Planning is definitely key!

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  34. This is such an important list and something I'll be bookmarking to click back onto! Thanks so much for these ideas and tips I know this will help greatly.

    www.voluptuouschatterbox.co.uk

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  35. Great tips! As you said, I think we don't enjoy this festivities enough because the anxiety of getting presents and everything right! This is year taught me to take it slowlier :)

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  36. Wonderful post filled with great tips! Mental health is so important all year round, but now more than ever we really need to make an effort to look after out minds.

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  37. I'm definitely going to try and soak up the holidays and enjoy them.

    www.fashionradi.com

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