Self Care in the Festive Season

Recently a lot of patients have visited me feeling very stressed and overwhelmed in the run up to Christmas, with their usual exercise routines and self care proving difficult to maintain. It can be lovely being busy with fun things, but people have also explained that this time of year is difficult for them due to losing loved ones or having feelings of loneliness. I thought it may be helpful to share some of the advice I find myself sharing often at the moment and I hope something I suggest helps you.

Don't Over-Commit, Pace Yourself

With so many events in the festive season, it can be easy to commit to lots of things and then struggle to fit them in. Try to spread events out so you can pace yourself. If you look at your diary and feel a little overwhelmed at everything you have to fit in, see if you're able to spread things out more or reduce the time you've committed to certain events. If you look and feel excited about being so busy, go for it!

Not-So-Social Media?

It can feel like there's pressure to perfect a lot of things this time of year, but reducing time on social media or generally comparing ourselves to others can reduce this. This is particularly helpful when feeling lonely, because social media can make us feel like we're the only one feeling this way.

However, if you're in need of company on Christmas Day, I highly recommend joining Sarah Millican's twitter thread #JoinIn. This hashtag will be running for the 9th year this year and helps to bring people together to support each other and provide company on Christmas Day.

Maintain a Fitness Routine

Often over the holidays our usual fitness classes take a break. If you use a class to help maintain your physical health, why not pair up with someone from your class to be an accountability buddy? Call or text each other once a week to make sure that you've both been doing a few of the exercises that you find most beneficial. If you're able to set time aside when you'd normally be at your class and you feel confident you can follow a video safely, why not check YouTube for a video to do instead?

Set Aside Time in the Diary

Set aside some time in the diary to spend doing some activities that help with your physical and mental health. These look like different things to different people, but some activities I'd suggest considering are:

- Having a hot bath with no interruptions
- Reading a book or magazine
- Breathing techniques or meditation
- Taking time to make a cup of tea/coffee and relax drinking it, rather than drinking it on the go
- Have a nap
- Do some stretches or exercise
- Look up recipes to try
- Look back on old photos of happy memories
- Put your favourite song on (and have a dance about if you want to!)
- Do some crafting/painting/writing/something creative

Reduce Overwhelm

If you have lots of things to do or feel a bit overwhelmed, writing lists can really help; once something is written down it can be easier to push out of your mind when you're trying to relax. Speaking to a trusted loved one can be beneficial too.

Keep Hydrated

This is the advice you hear repeatedly, but that's because it's important and it works! We can indulge a little over the festive period, so ensuring you drink plenty of water is essential. You can use a bottle to track how much water you're drinking or use an app if you're a fan of health apps and technology.

Have Reminders

It's always helpful to have reminders around the house that give you a nudge to do your exercises, particularly if you're likely to have a spare few minutes when you see them. Common places that are useful are the fridge, the kettle, a coat rack, by the bathroom mirror or on the bedside table. It's amazing what a few minutes of targeted exercises performed regularly can achieve.

Spend Time Outdoors

If the weather allows, get outside as frequently as you can. If the weather isn't very nice, even sitting by the window and observing outside can be a nice break.

Sleep Well

Sleep is incredibly important for our physical and mental health. For some in depth sleep advice, I highly recommend "The Four Pillar Plan" by Dr Chatterjee (it may not be too late to add this to your list to Santa!). Essentially, ensure you limit screen time in the hours before bed, try to limit caffeine in the afternoons/evenings and try to keep your bedroom in darkness (no TVs on and no "standby" lights going). The NHS suggest most adults need about 6-9 hours sleep per night, but this will vary for individuals.

Speak to Someone

If you're having difficulties and have no one to speak to, the Samaritans are a non-religious organisation who are free to talk to 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and it's totally anonymous. For more information, visit https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

I hope these suggestions have been helpful. If you have any top tips you'd like to share, please leave a comment!



About Zoë:


Zoë Clark is an osteopath qualified from the British College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2013.

Practicing in Howe, near Norwich, (01508 558373) and Burston, near Diss (07543 557746)