8 Free Gifts to Give Yourself for a Healthy Holiday Season
The holiday season brings with it opportunities for joy and celebration, time spent with family and friends and traditions that set apart this special time of year. The busyness of the holidays can also bring unwanted stress, challenging family dynamics and disappointed expectations. Financial strain is something many people experience this time of year, when the pressure to express our love through store-bought gifts weighs heavy.
When you’re living with lupus, stress may cause symptoms to flare, and pain and fatigue can stand in the way of your holiday plans. Taking care of your body and emotions while approaching this season with intention can help you to manage stress and make the most of the holidays.
Here are 8 gifts to give yourself this holiday season to minimize stress and maximize joy.
- Priorities. When it comes to holiday parties, gifts to buy and wrap, decorations to put up and cookies to bake, focus on quality over quantity. If you’re having a hard time simplifying, ask yourself, what about the holidays from your childhood did you love most? How can you focus on those most important elements this year?
- Boundaries. Give yourself permission to say no this holiday season. It’s okay to respectfully decline invitations, to leave half of your decorations neatly packed away in the garage to forego baking cookies in favor of a relaxing cup of cocoa by the fire. Spend time with the people you love, and gracefully step away from toxic obligations and unhealthy dynamics. Set clear boundaries around your time and energy so that you can enjoy the gift of a happy, healthy holiday.
- Connection. Aim for presence over perfection. Finding just the right gift is less important than spending quality time with friends and family. While gifts are nice, what we all truly desire, deep down, is connection. Collect memories, not things, and fill yourself with the warmth of time well spent together with those you love.
- Rest. Treat yourself while keeping your health needs in mind. Prioritize self-care over indulgence, balancing sweet treats and special events with steady nutrition, sleep and scheduled rest in order to feel your best. Don’t be afraid to take a day off from all of the festivities – the holiday season can feel more like a marathon than a sprint, and it’s okay to pace yourself.
- Delegation. Invite help – bring the party to your house if that’s more comfortable and accessible this year. Ask everyone to bring a dish to share instead of bearing the burden of feeding the group yourself. Delegate tasks to your partner or family members, whether it’s cleaning, decorating or filling out holiday cards.
- Mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, increasing emotional resilience. Mindfulness can reduce symptoms of chronic pain and fatigue associated with lupus, and may even boost the immune system, a much-needed benefit during cold and flu season. Set an alarm on your phone as a reminder to do a brief mindfulness exercise each day, and revisit the exercises when feeling particularly stressed this holiday season.
- Laughter. The health benefits of laughter are intuitive, leaving us all feeling lighter after a good laugh with friends. Laughter reduces the stress hormone cortisol, indicating a reduction in the body’s stress response. Having a good laugh often can also reduce pain perception, boost the immune system and even contribute to a good night’s sleep. What better time to laugh well and often than during the holiday season when we can gather with our favorite people and lean in to joy.
- Acceptance. Keep an open mind – this holiday may not look like a Hallmark movie, but it could still be filled with sweet moments that you’ll cherish for years to come. Release your expectations and find joy and gratitude in what is.
However you choose to spend the holidays, let it be your choice, made with a conscious awareness of what’s best for your physical and mental health and wellness. As you celebrate, take care of yourself and lean in to gratitude for all the beautiful things in your life. May your holiday season be merry and bright!
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Authored by:
Heather Rose Artushin, LISW-CP
This blog post and the lupus resources found on the National Resource Center on Lupus are, in part, supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Cooperative Agreement Number NU58 DP006139. The contents are solely the responsibility of the developers. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.
This blog post is for educational and information purposes only. Consult with your doctor/health care team for medical advice.