Kainisa George

During the season of gift-giving, sharing and spending time with family and friends, it is often lost on us to take care of ourselves.

Usually, as the driving force behind Christmas celebrations, women often leave themselves undone to take care of everyone and everything around them.

Prioritising kids, an immaculate home, and all the other minor tasks and errands in preparation for the big day, in the end, takes the wind right out of most of us.

If Christmas is a time to show your loved ones you care, why do we fail to add ourselves to the list? Have we relegated ourselves to Santa's naughty corner indefinitely? Or do we wait with bated breath for someone else to do the deed? Why not give love to yourself on Christmas Day?

You might be asking yourself, where do I start? And trust me, you will be tempted by the idea of gifting yourself something super expensive. And while this approach is welcomed, caring for yourself during the holiday season doesn't always require an expensive price tag. Christmas self-care ideas are all the rave lately, but most importantly, it also doesn't have to break the bank.

As wonderful and fun-filled as the Christmas season can be, it can leave you incredibly stressed. It's a constant ride of jam-packed schedules, meet-ups and work events. And if you have kids, well, the stress level only intensifies. It's the most wonderful time of the year, but numerous studies found that stress levels peak during the holiday period and can have a dire effect on your mental health.

A survey conducted by Health Line related to holiday stress showed that most respondents experienced increased stress levels during this time. This study also follows a 2019 survey conducted by the American Health Institute relative to holiday stress, which revealed that nearly 69 per cent of participants are stressed during the holiday due to feelings associated with 'lack of time' and perceived a 'lack of money.' The study also revealed over 50 per cent are stressed about the 'pressure to give or get gifts.'

Psychologist Dr Ellen found that the stress we feel during the holiday period is because of increased multi-tasking, which forces the brain's prefrontal cortex to go into overdrive. When this high-level demand on the brain continues, it results in decreased memory, halts the production of new brain cells, and causes existing brain cells to die.

Here's a thought, why not try taking a day off during the holiday period to unwind by yourself? No shopping, forget about cleaning, and if you have little ones, carve out time away from them, and spend time on your own. Whether you watch movies all day or relax in bed, think of this as a gift of time to refocus and unwind. In addition, some self-care experts recommend scheduling time for personal care and doing meaningful activities like exercising or a yoga class, getting your nails done, or having lunch with a friend.

During the holiday rush, it's easy to forget about our dietary needs. Most of us, in the pace of shopping or ta