Many feel anxiety at the thought of having to spend Christmas on their own, however getting through those 24 hours doesn’t need to be thought of as a huge hurdle to overcome. In fact for some people having to attend a big Christmas lunch induces much more stress than spending a day alone would. There is no reason why you can’t devote this whole day to pampering yourself. Bring the attention onto yourself and fill this day with activities which you enjoy but haven’t had time for.
Here are some ideas for a Christ-ME day:
• Keep Busy: Keeping yourself busy can rid you of the Christmas blues. In Australia we are absent from snowfall which is generally associated with Christmas time and instead we usually have hot weather during the end of December. Make a plan for your day filled with activities you’ve been itching to do but haven’t got around to. Some of the following ideas can be incorporated in your day.
• Get active: Go for a walk in the sun to enrich yourself with some vitamin D, providing the weather is appropriate. On Christmas day the weather is either pouring rain or blazing hot. If Christmas turns out to be a hot one this year then schedule a walk early in the morning to avoid the hottest sun. There is nothing like fresh air as soon as you wake up in the morning. A healthy dose of oxygen can improve your mood and fill your lungs with fresh air. The trees outside will also be grateful for increasing their carbon dioxide intake. That’s a win/win situation! But remember to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat and bring along some water.
• Be kind to yourself and enjoy a day full of pampering: There is nothing better than soaking your cares away. Devote a few hours to relax and pamper yourself. Relaxing in a hot bath tub is a tradition dating back to the ancient Egyptians. Hot water baths have been known to have healing remedies as the heat tends to relieve and relax muscles in your body. Instead of clear hot water, using bath salts and bath oils will add a whole new sensory dimension to your bathing experience. Even using a bubble bath creates all the difference; laying in the bath and listening to the popping bubbles can be quite soothing and relaxing. If you’re not a fan of silence play some soothing music whilst you’re relaxing. Lighting a few candles creates a soft light which helps relax the eyes. Just lie back focusing on the flickering light from the candle and rid yourself of any stress; remember this is your time.
Milk and Honey Bath
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Honey
1/3 cup whole milk (or cream)
Method: Add both to hot running water in the bathtub. And it’s as simple as that!
This has been labelled Cleopatra’s favourite bath. The combination of the creaminess of the milk and the sweet scent and skin softening properties of the honey makes this bath a heavenly experience. Something that smells good and works wonders on your skin. But before heading into the bath be sure to treat your face with a soothing face mask! They’re easy to make with simple household items.
Banana, Honey and Yoghurt Face Mask
Utensils: A bowl and a fork
Ingredients:
1 Banana
4 tbsp Any Yoghurt
2 tbsp Honey
Method:
Mash the banana with a fork, and then mix in the honey and yoghurt. It’s as simple as that!
Apply evenly to your face and leave for anywhere between 15 – 30 minutes while you’re in the bath tub. Use half for your face and the other half for a snack. Treat yourself with a manicure and a pedicure after you finish up your bath. You will be clean and your skin will be super soft. Stimulate your eyes with vibrant nail colour.
Reading Marathon: As lazy as it might sound, you might as well take advantage of the public holiday and relax to the extreme. A few days before, go to the library and borrow new books, buy a stack of magazines, or pull out that favourite book you have read a million times over (Harry Potter, anyone?). There is nothing like reading a good book to absorb yourself into another world. Hours can go by with a good book and that’s a fantastic way of treating your brain with a good dose of imagination. Just like movies, books have a similar or even greater power to let us breakaway from our everyday problems and stressors.
This is your time and even if you spend a whole day reading a book it wouldn’t be a day wasted.
Movie Marathon: Likewise with movies: If books are not quite your forte go to your video shop and rent out movies or a TV series. Relax, curl up on the couch and watch one of your favourite movies and disengage from the world for a few hours. It can be anything that tickles your fancy from a romance, comedy, out of this world sci-fi, animation or even a television series you’re behind on. Pick up something you wouldn’t usually watch; you may discover a new appreciation for a particular genre and if not well you’ve only lost 2 hours of your day!
Cook up a storm: Drag out your recipe books or buy a recipe magazine and cook something you haven’t made before. Have a look at the recipes in this month’s newsletter and cook something good for the body and the mind. Plan out your own Christmas lunch and treat yourself. Bake a big batch of biscuits or sweets of some kind and take them to your neighbours or leave them on their doorsteps as a Christmas present, or take them to shelters to give to those in need.
Volunteer: Soup kitchens and Christmas lunches run by churches and local community groups are always in need of helping hands on Christmas Day. Contact organisations like The Salvation Army, Sacred Heart Mission, Mission Australia, Open Family Australia, or Hanover Welfare Services. You can find contact details on the internet or in the yellow pages.
Spring clean: Now is your chance to clear out that cupboard that you quietly pray does not burst open each time you walk past it. Get rid of anything you haven’t used within the past 12 months. Organise items you do want to keep so you can easily access them. You may find many long lost treasures you didn’t even realize you had anymore. Give your kitchen or bathroom a thorough clean, giving attention to those particularly annoying areas, i.e. oven, shower. It may be gruelling but your home will be sparkling.
Train your brain: Buy a Sudoku book or get your mind busy with some crosswords and brain teasers. Research has shown that actively engaging the brain in such “brain-sharpening activities” activates the prefrontal cortex, involved in planning, organisation, making judgements and memory. When this area of the brain is fully engaged, input from the amygdala is reduced, the area of the brain responsible for our experience of fear and anxiety states are reduced. Thus we go into a calmer state because our brain is so heavily occupied it doesn’t have time to worry!
Get active: Do some exercise! Some of you may be groaning when you read this but the old “healthy body, healthy mind” has some truth to it. Many studies have found moderate exercise can assist in decreasing anxiety symptoms. Have a read of the “a healthier lifestyle for a healthier mind” article, hopefully this can convince you.
Clear your mind: Have a day of meditation. Christmas day is the perfect day to take some time out for this, as being a public holiday you won’t have many distractions e.g. annoying telemarketers calling up every hour. Plan ahead and purchase a meditation CD and allow your mind to have a public holiday too! Yoga is also great for calming the mind, so buy a yoga DVD or book and give it a go.
Buy yourself a feel good present: Although most of us are cautious with our spending, Christmas is a time to put that mentality aside and buy yourself a generous present just once a year. Christmas may be a time for giving but it is also important for receiving. There is nothing better than opening a present and knowing it’s something you’ve wanted for such a long time and finally being able to enjoy it. The satisfaction is irreplaceable and everyone deserves to have feelings of selflessness sometimes and why not let it be at Christmas. You’ve made it through another year so celebrate with a present for yourself along with a whole day devoted to just you.
Avoid Television: During December television stations tend to broadcast a lot of shows relating to Christmas. It may be a good idea to avoid watching television on the 25th December. In doing this, you are not filling your mind with thoughts of how Christmas should be spent. Instead you are creating your own tradition and doing it your way, which isn’t always a bad thing.
Unleash your creative side: Get arty! Start a craft project, there are plenty of creative ideas in craft magazines and on the internet. Maybe create some homemade gifts, or make your own Christmas cards with your own personal touch. Being creative is a good way to take time out to distract you from the hectic Christmas period.
It’s just one more day of the year. You will survive it! In fact this mantra maybe better used by those having to spend time with their families!
Here are some ideas for a Christ-ME day:
• Keep Busy: Keeping yourself busy can rid you of the Christmas blues. In Australia we are absent from snowfall which is generally associated with Christmas time and instead we usually have hot weather during the end of December. Make a plan for your day filled with activities you’ve been itching to do but haven’t got around to. Some of the following ideas can be incorporated in your day.
• Get active: Go for a walk in the sun to enrich yourself with some vitamin D, providing the weather is appropriate. On Christmas day the weather is either pouring rain or blazing hot. If Christmas turns out to be a hot one this year then schedule a walk early in the morning to avoid the hottest sun. There is nothing like fresh air as soon as you wake up in the morning. A healthy dose of oxygen can improve your mood and fill your lungs with fresh air. The trees outside will also be grateful for increasing their carbon dioxide intake. That’s a win/win situation! But remember to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat and bring along some water.
• Be kind to yourself and enjoy a day full of pampering: There is nothing better than soaking your cares away. Devote a few hours to relax and pamper yourself. Relaxing in a hot bath tub is a tradition dating back to the ancient Egyptians. Hot water baths have been known to have healing remedies as the heat tends to relieve and relax muscles in your body. Instead of clear hot water, using bath salts and bath oils will add a whole new sensory dimension to your bathing experience. Even using a bubble bath creates all the difference; laying in the bath and listening to the popping bubbles can be quite soothing and relaxing. If you’re not a fan of silence play some soothing music whilst you’re relaxing. Lighting a few candles creates a soft light which helps relax the eyes. Just lie back focusing on the flickering light from the candle and rid yourself of any stress; remember this is your time.
Milk and Honey Bath
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Honey
1/3 cup whole milk (or cream)
Method: Add both to hot running water in the bathtub. And it’s as simple as that!
This has been labelled Cleopatra’s favourite bath. The combination of the creaminess of the milk and the sweet scent and skin softening properties of the honey makes this bath a heavenly experience. Something that smells good and works wonders on your skin. But before heading into the bath be sure to treat your face with a soothing face mask! They’re easy to make with simple household items.
Banana, Honey and Yoghurt Face Mask
Utensils: A bowl and a fork
Ingredients:
1 Banana
4 tbsp Any Yoghurt
2 tbsp Honey
Method:
Mash the banana with a fork, and then mix in the honey and yoghurt. It’s as simple as that!
Apply evenly to your face and leave for anywhere between 15 – 30 minutes while you’re in the bath tub. Use half for your face and the other half for a snack. Treat yourself with a manicure and a pedicure after you finish up your bath. You will be clean and your skin will be super soft. Stimulate your eyes with vibrant nail colour.
Reading Marathon: As lazy as it might sound, you might as well take advantage of the public holiday and relax to the extreme. A few days before, go to the library and borrow new books, buy a stack of magazines, or pull out that favourite book you have read a million times over (Harry Potter, anyone?). There is nothing like reading a good book to absorb yourself into another world. Hours can go by with a good book and that’s a fantastic way of treating your brain with a good dose of imagination. Just like movies, books have a similar or even greater power to let us breakaway from our everyday problems and stressors.
This is your time and even if you spend a whole day reading a book it wouldn’t be a day wasted.
Movie Marathon: Likewise with movies: If books are not quite your forte go to your video shop and rent out movies or a TV series. Relax, curl up on the couch and watch one of your favourite movies and disengage from the world for a few hours. It can be anything that tickles your fancy from a romance, comedy, out of this world sci-fi, animation or even a television series you’re behind on. Pick up something you wouldn’t usually watch; you may discover a new appreciation for a particular genre and if not well you’ve only lost 2 hours of your day!
Cook up a storm: Drag out your recipe books or buy a recipe magazine and cook something you haven’t made before. Have a look at the recipes in this month’s newsletter and cook something good for the body and the mind. Plan out your own Christmas lunch and treat yourself. Bake a big batch of biscuits or sweets of some kind and take them to your neighbours or leave them on their doorsteps as a Christmas present, or take them to shelters to give to those in need.
Volunteer: Soup kitchens and Christmas lunches run by churches and local community groups are always in need of helping hands on Christmas Day. Contact organisations like The Salvation Army, Sacred Heart Mission, Mission Australia, Open Family Australia, or Hanover Welfare Services. You can find contact details on the internet or in the yellow pages.
Spring clean: Now is your chance to clear out that cupboard that you quietly pray does not burst open each time you walk past it. Get rid of anything you haven’t used within the past 12 months. Organise items you do want to keep so you can easily access them. You may find many long lost treasures you didn’t even realize you had anymore. Give your kitchen or bathroom a thorough clean, giving attention to those particularly annoying areas, i.e. oven, shower. It may be gruelling but your home will be sparkling.
Train your brain: Buy a Sudoku book or get your mind busy with some crosswords and brain teasers. Research has shown that actively engaging the brain in such “brain-sharpening activities” activates the prefrontal cortex, involved in planning, organisation, making judgements and memory. When this area of the brain is fully engaged, input from the amygdala is reduced, the area of the brain responsible for our experience of fear and anxiety states are reduced. Thus we go into a calmer state because our brain is so heavily occupied it doesn’t have time to worry!
Get active: Do some exercise! Some of you may be groaning when you read this but the old “healthy body, healthy mind” has some truth to it. Many studies have found moderate exercise can assist in decreasing anxiety symptoms. Have a read of the “a healthier lifestyle for a healthier mind” article, hopefully this can convince you.
Clear your mind: Have a day of meditation. Christmas day is the perfect day to take some time out for this, as being a public holiday you won’t have many distractions e.g. annoying telemarketers calling up every hour. Plan ahead and purchase a meditation CD and allow your mind to have a public holiday too! Yoga is also great for calming the mind, so buy a yoga DVD or book and give it a go.
Buy yourself a feel good present: Although most of us are cautious with our spending, Christmas is a time to put that mentality aside and buy yourself a generous present just once a year. Christmas may be a time for giving but it is also important for receiving. There is nothing better than opening a present and knowing it’s something you’ve wanted for such a long time and finally being able to enjoy it. The satisfaction is irreplaceable and everyone deserves to have feelings of selflessness sometimes and why not let it be at Christmas. You’ve made it through another year so celebrate with a present for yourself along with a whole day devoted to just you.
Avoid Television: During December television stations tend to broadcast a lot of shows relating to Christmas. It may be a good idea to avoid watching television on the 25th December. In doing this, you are not filling your mind with thoughts of how Christmas should be spent. Instead you are creating your own tradition and doing it your way, which isn’t always a bad thing.
Unleash your creative side: Get arty! Start a craft project, there are plenty of creative ideas in craft magazines and on the internet. Maybe create some homemade gifts, or make your own Christmas cards with your own personal touch. Being creative is a good way to take time out to distract you from the hectic Christmas period.
It’s just one more day of the year. You will survive it! In fact this mantra maybe better used by those having to spend time with their families!
By Pree Benton, Volunteer and Paulina Pyrchla, RMIT Placement Student—December 2010
Yoga is helpful tool in clearing mind and soul.Learn yoga at home on a yoga DVD.It is much cheaper than yoga classes.
ReplyDelete