Ti’s The Season to be Jolly with These De-stressing Activities

A Santa-approved de-stress checklist 

The year is coming to an end and we’ve all avidly planned our Christmas and New Year breaks. The excitement of the upcoming year and the flurry of Christmas shopping has got everybody in a tizzy. Even apart from the festivities and cheer, the end of the year brings with it a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with yourself and get some much-needed rest. It’s the time to look back on how far you have come, and recharge before you step into all the madness that the New Year has in store for you. 

So while you’ve got all this time on your hands, you should use it fruitfully to rest up, and relax your body and mind. And when we say relax, we don’t mean staying in bed watching Netflix for 5 hours. We’re talking of the good old screen-less activities that will get you up and moving. It’s time to celebrate your Christmas break in a hands-on way. Trust us, your body will thank you later. So here are some of the ways in which you can wind down and de-stress this holiday season:

Start a journal:

We know that this is at the top of every new-year related activity list, but hey, it’s for good reason! Research shows that journaling is a great way to improve your mood and nip unnecessary stress in the bud. It gives you a chance to prioritise and map your day out. It also provides a creative outlet for any stress or worries you may have and will make you feel lighter and at peace. Although you can start a journal at any point in the year, there is something satisfying in starting one with the start of a new year! Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Make a mood tracker
• Jot down your daily task list
• Draw a vision board
• Keep a gratitude log 
• Plan your budget
• Make a goal tracker
  
  
  
• Make bath time, spa time:

While rushed showers are all that we have time for on most days, the holiday season is the excuse you need to take longer, elaborate planned soaks. A good hot water bath can have tonnes of physical benefits -  it eases up stiff joints, muscle pain and body ache. It is great for mental health as well, a good soak can relieve stress and anxiety, and have a calming effect on your mood. But we don’t need to tell you all this, you can experience it for yourself! Here’s how to turn your bath game up a notch and get that spa experience right at home:

• Put on some soothing music while you get the water running
• Light a couple of scented candles for some much-needed aromatherapy while you get your soak in
• Add bath salts to the water to soak up on all the added benefits they bring
• Splurge on a bath bomb to enhance your bath water
• Use a loofah with natural fibres to exfoliate and clean up and detoxify your skin
• Grab a soft and fluffy bathrobe to wrap yourself up in when you’re done with your soak

Sounds tempting right? Read here to know more about how to create the perfect DIY Wellness Bath Routine Experience at home.

Of course, for the perfect bath experience, you need the perfect shower gel by your side. So check out Yardley London English Rose Moisturising Shower Crème. Its nourishing shea butter and rose essence will leave your skin feeling delicate as a petal. 

DIY skin care:

There is something very wholesome about preparing your own body scrubs and face packs, by hand. Not only are they a completely natural way to cater to your skin’s needs, they are also super fun to make! Even apart from the many skin benefits you can get from a homemade face scrub, it has a good effect on your mental wellbeing as well. When you focus on doing something nice for yourself it helps de-clutter your mind and boosts your mood. So grab your mixing bowls and storage jars, because we have some fun holiday-themed scrubs and packs for you to whip up!

A chocolaty coconutty body scrub

Everybody loves downing mugs of thick, steamy hot chocolate around Christmas time, so let’s take that Christmas spirit and turn it into a chocolaty scrub for your skin! All you need are these 4 simple ingredients:

• 1 cup of brown sugar (normal caster sugar works just fine as well)
• ½  cup of solid coconut oil 
• 1/3 cup almond oil
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Mix up all the ingredients in a large enough bowl until they are properly combined. Then adjust the ingredients to get the right consistency according to your preferences. You can store leftover scrub in an airtight container. Cocoa and coconut are both known for their hydrating power when applied to the skin. The sugar in the scrub acts as a natural exfoliator whereas the cocoa and coconut work at rehydrating your skin, turning it soft and supple.

Cinnamon honey face mask

While we all associate the warm, woody scent of cinnamon with Christmas, it also happens to be a face pack favourite because of its skin brightening and anti-bacterial properties. So here’s a fun honey cinnamon face pack for you to whip up at home:

• Grab ¼ tablespoons of cinnamon powder and two tablespoons of honey.
• Add both to a bowl and mix thoroughly
• Apply the mixture evenly to your face
• Let it sit for about 20 minutes before washing it off

The honey and cinnamon combo will help smoothen out acne scars or uneven skin texture and will brighten up your skin, giving you a radiant glow!

Aromatherapy for the mind and body

Aromatherapy. We hear this term everywhere but what does it actually mean? 

Aromatherapy is a wonderfully simple, holistic healing treatment that uses essential oils as a way of inducing relaxation and relieving stress. These essential oils are concentrated essences  extracted from plants. The fragrance from the essential oils is meant to stimulate certain areas of the brain and in turn, have a freeing effect on your body and mind. 

Essential oils can be used by rubbing a few drops onto your skin, using a diffuser or simply inhaling the fumes. 

Aromatherapy offers many healing benefits, such as:

• Improves your sleep quality
• Acts as a stress buster 
• Relieves agitation and anxiety
• Improves moods
• Soothe sore joints
• Helps to treat headaches and migraines

Since essential oils are super easy to use, they’re the most hassle-free activity you can carry out to get the relaxation going this holiday season. Try peppermint, cedarwood and spruce essential oils, so it’ll truly feel like Christmas is in the air!

Get a massage:

After all that hard work throughout the year, you deserve to splurge a little on a soothing massage! While we all know that getting a massage takes care of sore muscles, body aches and stress, there are a host of additional benefits that you can expect. Such as:

1. Improves your body’s blood circulation
2. Detoxifies your body
3. Loosens your muscles, giving you increased flexibility
4. Improves sleep quality
5. Boosts your immune system, enhancing your immunity
6. Alleviates symptoms of depression and anxiety

Coincidentally, a pampering massage session makes for a great Christmas gift as well! So grab your best friend and get ready for a day of unwinding at the salon. If you’re unsure about which massage to opt for, read our blog on Different Massage Types: Choose The Best One For You.

Try a Manicure

There’s something about having manicured nails that makes you feel on top of life. And while some people prefer getting their nails done by a professional, doing it yourself at home can be a really fun de-stressing activity to try out. An at-home manicure can be carried out with simple tools that you probably already have lying around in your house. Here’s what you need:

• Nail polish of your choice + a clear polish
• Nail cutter/cuticle cutter and a cuticle pusher
• Q-tips and cotton balls
• Bowl of warm water
• Shower gel of your choice

Before you start, moisturise your cuticles using the cream. Then pour some moisturising shower gel in a warm bowl of water and soak your hands for 2 minutes. This softens up the skin near your cuticles, making them easier to remove. After soaking, follow these steps:

1. Push your cuticles back with the cuticle pusher (if you don’t have a cuticle pusher you can use a cloth or a cotton pad)
2. This will reveal the older cuticle under it, use your cuticle cutter or nail cutter to cut the cuticles off
3. File and shape your nails according to your preference
4. Use an emery board to buff your nails till they are smooth
5. Apply a thin layer of clear polish, this will protect your nails from discolouration
6. Once dry, apply a thicker coat of the colour of your choice
7. Try red polish to get that classic Christmas look

There you go, now you have the perfect manicure to sport on Christmas Eve!

This little activity list is our gift to you this Christmas. We hope it adds a sense of peace to your holiday break and helps prepare you to embrace the best of 2022. Merry Christmas!