5 Ways To Destress During The Holidays
Let’s face it, the holidays can be exhausting from cooking, to shopping, to choosing the right outfit, sticking to the schedule for virtual zoom events, etc., and it can be easy to forget what the holidays are truly about.
This year for Thanksgiving, I hosted dinner at my apartment with my mother, my boyfriend, my sister and her boyfriend. Never in my life did I celebrate Thanksgiving with such a small amount of people, but with COVID, this is the new normal as we practice social distancing.
Since my mom was working in the morning, I took on the responsibility of cooking the dinner and I refused to overwhelm myself which is why I decided not to offer turkey this year. It may sound selfish but as a pescatarian who only eats seafood and plant-based meats, I did not desire to cook the turkey, nor learn how to (at least not this year)
I say that to say, yes, Thanksgiving has many traditions including cooking turkey, but it’s okay if there isn’t any. What is most important is spending time with family and creating memories. The best way to create memories is to avoid being overwhelmed and burnt out so you can enjoy the holiday season. This is why I created a list of 5 ways to destress during the holidays.
1. Wear comfortable clothes: yes, the holidays are about showing off your best outfit (we literally had a fashion show in the living room last year an hour before thanksgiving dinner) but during these times, it’s about comfort. This is why I love my Organic Cotton Jogger Set from Third Love. Not only is it cute and perfect to wear when out running errands, or simply lounging in the house with family, it offers 3 great features. The first is that it is made from antimicrobial bamboo, so its extra soft and lightweight. The second is that it is made with tagless labels, so no itchy tag feeling throughout the day. The third is that it comes in an organic cotton travel bag, so it’s perfect to toss in your suitcase if you are traveling.
2. Take a warm wellness bath: taking a nice bubble bath is cool and all but a nice warm wellness bath is EVERYTHING! I know you’re probably reading this like “Davida, what the heck is a wellness bath??” Well, a wellness bath is like a regular bath, but with two necessary essentials. You have to have a candle, it sets the mood and provides the right amount of light (yes, the bathroom lights must be turned off in order for you to relax). You can grab one from Bath and Body Works (they all smell heavenly, but a really nice bath scent is Mahagony Teakwood), or if you want to save money, grab one from Aldi, my favorite is the Vanilla Scented Candle. The last essential is an organic bath bomb. My favorite comes from Lush because of their variety of colors, and since it’s natural, it’s beneficial to your body. By the way, I like their Snow Fairy bath bomb because of the glistening snowflake swirls that show in my bathtub and it smells AMAZING!
3. Use a self care planner: using a planner holds you accountable to stay on task with not only your day to day duties, but also your self care needs. Many of us write a daily to-do list, but never incorporate our top personal goals to achieve each day, what to show gratitude towards, what meals we will eat and how many bottles of water we consume. I never paid attention to these things until I got my Self Care Planner from Simple Self Co., which I found on Amazon, and since then, my life and self care duties stayed on track.
4. Get your sleep on (or whatever Missy Elliot said): no like seriously, getting your sleep on is vital for destressing during the holiday season. It is a psychological fact that people who don’t get enough sleep perform worse than people who are drunk. Crazy story, right? I used to not get enough hours of sleep and eventually my body shut down annnnnnd I was extra annoyed at the smallest things. Thanks to my CBD massage oil from Happy Buddha Hemp, my body feels relaxed and with my Salve from them, I don’t have to worry about any body aches from working out at the gym keeping me up at night. All of their products are 100% natural and they use the fullest full spectrum hemp you can find which is what keeps you relaxed with long lasting effects. If you shop with them, make sure to use code DAVIDA20 for 20% off plus a free gift until December 4th.
5. Watch your favorite comfort movie: during the holidays, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Lifetime, BET and other major networks have holiday comfort movies for you to watch either alone or with family, TAKE ADVANTAGE! Take a moment to pause and turn your phone on silent so you can thoroughly enjoy your favorite holiday movies. My favorites are of course the Grinch, Best Man Holiday and This Christmas. By the way, I just saw “Let Him Go” on Amazon Prime and that movie will have you on the edge of your seat! Do not watch it alone, it’s too good to just watch solo. Plus you can rent it on Amazon Prime is $20.