Taking time for yourself during the holidays

Christmas is nearly here, I can hardly believe it… It’s the best time of the year, but it can get very stressful. Most people already have got all the presents ready under their tree’s and it’s almost time to get together and give them away.

Is your schedule booked up with dinners and family visits? Cozy but tiring! You deserve to take a break now and again, don’t forget to take care of yourself. I understand people that want to skip this time of the year, as not everyone finds it as pleasant as I do.

My schedule is filled up with everything SELF, so many of you ordered presents. So at the moment I’ll have to push through it so all these gifts can be handed to your loved ones. But that doesnt mean I don’t have me-moments, taking care of yourself is one of the most important things you can do! Today I’ll be sharing some of my favorite moments and tips that allow me to consider myself during the holidays.

Moments for myself

Your body needs time to recharge. Moments for yourself are truly important! Sometimes the little things can do the most and they don’t have to be expensive. During this time of the year all I really want is to spend time with my husband and daughter.

My top 10 coziest moments of the year:

1. Crawling in the sofa with a book or watching a few episodes of my favorite series. Love it! A while ago I shared my favorite books and series over here: naturalself.eu/en/blog/ultimate-self-list
2. A good glass of wine, candles, and a blanket on top of me. How I can enjoy this!
3. Taking a bath with a lovely scrub session. Tip: I always add a spoonful of SELF body scrub to the hot water and afterwards my skin is silky smooth.
4. Walking with the dog, seeing those bright colors and that forest scent help me to escape the daily stress.
5. A coffee or tea break. Having a bad day? Make yourself a nice hot cup of coffee, hot cocoa or tea. During my coffee moment I reflect on my luck and wonder if I’ve done anything for myself today.
6. A bouquet of flowers brightens up my day and my house! How I can enjoy that!
7. Treating myself with skin care products. For me it’s SELF’s all natural products 😉 How I adore them!
8. Reminiscing about lovely memories and photographs, both recent and long ago.
9. Quality time with the family, playing games. It’s a Christmas tradition!
10. Last but not least: absolute silence! Turning off the TV, throwing my cellphone to the other side of the room. Quiet can be blissful!

Keeping it simple after Christmas

Maybe it’s not a real me time moment, but it’s a tip that belongs in the list. Whenever I’ve cooked Christmas dinner I set the bar higher than the year before. I want to spoil my guests and be the perfect host.

And this year is no different, I’ve prepared an entire homemade dinner. But actually I’m not really much of a hero behind the stove. So I usually test my dinners a couple of times beforehand but I couldn’t manage it this year due to the busy schedule. Oops 😉 It’ll be a stressful time, but I don’t doubt  it’ll be just as cozy as ever! I loved Christmas as a child and I just want to pass on the same feeling to my daughter Michelle.

When Christmas has passed I tend to keep it a little less fancy. The menu for the following days is pretty simple: all those Christmas leftovers! A golden tip, as I for one can’t handle making and entire meal after slaving away in the kitchen during Christmas!

Taking some days off without obligations

Plan some moments where you have to do absolutely nothing! As an entrepeneur it’s difficult to stay away from everything, but you just have to hit the pause button sometimes. For example closing your laptop and shutting of your phone half an hour earlier and doing nothing. Giving your body and mind a moment to relax!

My sincerest wishes to all of you and have a wonderful Christmas and a great 2019 filled with amazing SELF moments.

Team SELF