Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Today I have a blog post written by the lovely Jenny from Jenny in Neverland. She regularly writes about self care, well-being and personal growth so this blog post is timed greatly – as I’m sure we all need to decompress after Christmas. Also, it means I get to have a bit of a break myself over the Christmas period!
So, over to Jenny!
I feel like there’s a lot of emphasis around this time of year on relaxing and chilling out before Christmas and during the Christmas period. And rightly so. We’ve all worked hard all year – not to mention being faced with a number of external challenges throughout the year too – and we all deserve a well needed break to eat, drink and be merry.
But we often forget that the Christmas period, particularly the weeks before and after when the festivities and our plans ramp up, can be incredibly stressful and full-on. Yes, we might have given ourselves a break over Christmas from work. But is it REALLY a break when we’re frantically running around trying to get everything done for Christmas?
Christmas is like that holiday that you need an extra holiday to get over. Sadly though, there never seems to be enough time in between Christmas, New Year and back to work to successfully decompress and recover from a frantic end to the year!
Although we might not ever truly be able to fully recover from Christmas before it’s time to go back to work and start the 12 months all over again (and ultimately be saying, “oh my god I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas!” again before we know it, there are some super small things we can do to help ourselves rest, rejuvenate and decompress after Christmas.
Here are 7 small ways to decompress after Christmas:
Be gentle with yourself
FIRST THINGS FIRST! Be gentle with yourself and do things from a place of kindness. We’ve all just been through a mega year, we’re all exhausted, it’s okay to do whatever you need to do to decompress. If there’s a time to stop putting pressure on yourself, it’s now.
Say no to additional plans if you’re completely wiped out
And following on from doing things from a place of kindness, it’s really important to take note of your energy right now. Chances are, people are still going to be making plans and arranging things throughout the remainder of the year. If you REALLY feel like you can’t, then remember it’s okay to say no. It’s always okay to say no.
Get in the greens
Not just the greens but basically anything that isn’t a pig in blanket or a mince pie. I’m all for indulging a bit over Christmas, letting go and having fun. But there will come a time, after Christmas, where your body is literally SCREAMING at you to give it a vegetable or an apple.
Give yourself a “nothing” day – if you can
I say “if you can” because I realise this isn’t always the easiest thing, especially if you have children, pets, responsibilities. If you can’t fit in a whole day, try and do half a day or just one hour. Whatever you can realistically manage. And give yourself that time to do, well, nothing.
Get some fresh air
The best thing to do after being cooped up over Christmas is getting outside. Take that Christmas Day walk, sit on your balcony wrapped up in a blanket for a couple of hours or even have a mooch around a garden centre. Fresh air does wonders for our physical and mental health when we’re going through a stressful and busy period.
Get those steps in
I’m 100% not that person to tell you to exercise and workout over Christmas. If you want to, that’s great. But if you don’t and would rather spend that time with family, then you absolutely should. But a little bit of movement is always good to help decompress over the Christmas period. Walking, with family or going for a walk with your music on is a great way to do this.
Spend some time on organization
And finally, organization. I’m big on organization and I really do believe that getting that little bit more organized can help you feel less stressed. So for the sake of decompressing after Christmas, it’s worth dedicating just an hour or two to organizing your calendar for January, so you can sit back and enjoy the rest of the year without worrying about what you’re supposed to be doing!
There are of course a ton more ways you can decompress over the Christmas period but these are just a few small tips to get you started if you’re really struggling to chill out and rest during this extremely busy time of year!
You should always prioritize your own well-being and self care when you can, especially this time of year. We all want to make Christmas special for our loved ones but in order to do that, you need to be kind to yourself, too!
Connect with Jenny here:
Saying no and setting firm boundaries is a hard one but I am working on it! All great tips xx
Love these practical tips for decompressing after the big day! Celebrations are so fun, but the aftercare matters to so I love the idea of getting some exercise in and going for greens.
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
It’s so important to try and unwind after Christmas, I love the idea of getting outdoors and also saying no to plans when you feel completely wiped out, it’s so important to not overdo do after Christmas as it can be a tiring time! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Great tips that can be applied after any big day/event — I love the ideas you’ve shared here and I will be using them!
I can definitely relate to this post and have been feeling this. These are some really good suggestions to help combat those feelings. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren – http://www.bournemouthgirl.com
Thanks so much for sharing these tips! I usefully slow completely down and relax with the family.
Decompressing is so important after the crazy holiday season. I have been trying not to do too much this week between Christmas and New Year’s because life will pick back up again soon and I won’t be able to relax and do “nothing.” Thank you for sharing these tips!
I really like your tips in this post. I think they can be applied any time of the year, not only after Christmas. We often face situations when we can use them.
Thank you for sharing these ideas Corinne, we all need to decompress sometimes and Christmas is a busy time x
Yay!!!!!! I had my nothing day yesterday. I believe that the end of December is the best moment for all of us chill out and relax. It’s a good moment to refresh ourselves.
I agree with you; we had a lot of struggles and things during the year.
What a great post! I always feel bagged the days immediately following Christmas, particularly if I’ve hosted Christmas dinner. These are all great ideas so thanks for sharing.
Good suggestions. I need to eat some greens. Too much picking at food has made me lazy. Happy new year!
I love these . I always feel like I need to get back onto auto pilot after Xmas when In fact taking it easy is definitely what I need 🙂
I’m very grateful that my Christmas is very chill most of the time, but after spending Christmas last year alone because of lockdown, I was extremely happy to see a few people this year. I try to provide some relaxing space for my friends so they feel less pressure, too.
Yes, I feel like I need a holiday to get over the holiday! I have a few days off of work and I’m working on so many other things that get neglected. You’ve inspired me to take a day this weekend for me. Thanks!
Love all of these tips and it’s so important to find a way to decompress during the holidays! Setting boundaries and saying no to new plans that you can’t keep up to are such a must as well as taking time to just be and organising yourself for the new year. Thank you for sharing x