Feeling Low at Christmas: 15 Self-Care Tips – Blogmas Day 21

I don’t feel great today. Sorry for the downer, but life isn’t a constant fairy lights-bordered blogpost: we all go through ups and downs, and being down at Christmas can feel a lot worse than any other time of year. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, right?

I’ve seen quite a few posts this year about self-care, in particular paying attention to looking after your mind and body during the festive season; firstly, it is wonderful to see so many bloggers raising awareness around mental health at Christmas, and secondly, because of this, I know a lot of the things I’m about to say have been said before. This post is a reminder for myself, and anyone else out there struggling, to take simple steps towards being kind to yourself.

So let’s shout out this list loud and clear, for those, like me, who find it hard to keep these self-care tips in mind:

Allow yourself time to rest without feeling guilty.

Stay hydrated and eat as well as you can.

Minimise social media to focus on yourself and not exacerbate the situation by exposing yourself to an avalanche of festive cheer.

Make lists of the things you need to do, to get tasks out of your head and arranged in a clear format that will be easy to follow once you’re feeling up to it.

Create something – pencil, paint, paper, clay – anything that occupies your hands.

Watch or read something new; discover a new world to get lost in for a while.

Listen to music that you find relaxing.

Write – anything – your feelings, a story, a poem, a blogpost…

Bake or cook your favourite food.

Tidy a space in your house.

Get outside and breathe some fresh air.

Alter what you can physically feel – brush your teeth, wash your hair or change your clothes.

Have a bath with festive-secented bubbles – just because your mind and body don’t want to be upbeat doesn’t mean your nose can’t enjoy vanilla and gingerbread aromas.

Create a cosy space and give yourself time to enjoy it.

Have an early night, let your mind rest.

At the beginning of this post, I apologised for feeling like this and tainting people’s social media with ‘negativity’, but this isn’t negativity. This is reality; this is how I feel right now and that’s valid. It doesn’t mean I should celebrate this feeling, but I shouldn’t feel guilty about it or forced to cover it up. I never want to present myself as something I’m not, or guarantee that unrelenting positivity will always shine through the words I type on this page. It’s okay to struggle, as long as you’re taking steps towards self-care and change.

What are your self-care tips for when you’re feeling like this?

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Want to read more Blogmas posts? Scroll to the bottom of Day One for the full list.

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