At least for me, holiday self-care looks different than regular self-care, and that’s okay.
During the rest of the year, self-care might mean pushing yourself to try something new, checking off your to-do list, or staying on top of your routines. But during the holidays? Self-care is about giving yourself permission to slow down when everything around you is speeding up. It’s about protecting your energy, your body, and your peace when everything and everyone seems to ask for more than you have to give.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the holidays. The lights, the gatherings, and the traditions are some of my favorite times. But I’ve also learned that if I don’t take care of myself differently during this time, I end up burned out, stiff, and resentful. So once a week (and sometimes more often), I practice rituals that help me stay grounded, flexible, and present. These aren’t about doing more; they’re about giving myself what I need to really enjoy the season.
Here are my favorite holiday self-care rituals that keep me centered when everything else feels chaotic.
1. A Quiet Moment with Something Sweet & Warm
This is one of those that can easily turn into a daily ritual, and I’m thinking this year it just might. Once a week, I make myself sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and a favorite seasonal treat. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but I like to be able to have a treat that might not be available throughout the rest of the year. Maybe it’s a slice of pumpkin bread, a gingerbread cookie, or a piece of dark chocolate. The point isn’t the treat itself; it’s the act of sitting still long enough to enjoy it.
My tip: I don’t scroll on my phone during this. I just sit. Sometimes I look out the window at my pool, sometimes I watch the steam rise from my mug. It’s five or ten minutes where I’m not planning, not rushing, not performing. Just being.
What I use: I have a favorite oversized mug that I bought on a trip to Mexico. It makes me feel cozy just holding it, knowing that someone made it by hand.. It’s nothing special from a design standpoint, but it’s mine, and using it feels like a small act of care. It’s also Panettone time. It can only find it between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I take advantage by stocking up on a few and freezing them. My favorite?
Bauducco Chocottone Chocolate Chips Panettone. It’s the perfect cross between bread and cake, only filled with chocolate chips and glazed with MORE chocolate. It makes me feel like I’m sitting in a cafe in Italy. I savor it slowly. My breakfast panettone tradition is to soak it in egg and make French toast. It’s pure heaven. FYI, Bauducco also makes those crispy wafer cookies (in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and more (YUM, hazelnut too) for when I’m in a tea mood.
While I was shopping for them on Amazon, I saw that you can make S’mores from the Bauducco Choco Biscuits – what an AHA! moment. Hmmm….I might have a new tradition (because Florida nights get chilly, and yes I have a little firepit).
2. The Body Check-In
The holidays put stress on our bodies in ways we don’t always notice until something hurts. Between shopping, decorating, cooking, traveling, and hosting, we’re lifting, reaching, standing, and sitting in weird positions more than usual. And stress itself makes us tense up, which puts us at risk for injury. Once a week (at minimum), I make time to stretch and check in with my body.
My tip: I focus on my neck, shoulders, and lower back, those are my stress-holding spots. Even five minutes of gentle stretching makes a huge difference. I also stretch my hips and hamstrings because holiday travel means lots of sitting.
Photo courtesy of Stretch Zone
What I’ll be doing: I recently learned about assisted stretching from Stretch Zone. I haven’t been yet, but I plan to check it out since Stretch Zone works with a large population of baby boomers and seniors like you and me, and a big part of the method is making stretching safe and accessible for people with limited mobility, pain, or age-related conditions. Everything is practitioner-assisted, controlled, and gentle…not the forceful or aggressive stretching people often imagine. I’ll be bringing you more about Stretch Zone when I go, but with the tension that comes with stress during the holidays, I’m thinking this is going to be my go-to because my back inevitably goes “out” every holiday from trying to do too much and my body rebelling.
- Find a Stretch Zone Studio near you
3. The Permission Slip
Once a week, I give myself explicit permission to say no to something, skip something, or do something differently than expected. Maybe I’ll skip a party I don’t actually want to attend. Maybe I’ll buy cookies instead of baking them. Maybe I’ll let the decorations be “good enough” instead of perfect.
My tip: I write it down or say it out loud. “I have permission to leave early.” “I have permission to rest instead of cleaning.” Naming it makes it real (and if my husband hears me say it, maybe he’ll do it…LOL).
What I remember: Holiday self-care isn’t selfish; it’s survival. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you don’t owe anyone your burnout.
4. A Solo Walk (No Agenda)
Once a week, I take a walk by myself with no destination and no purpose other than to clear my head. Not a power walk, not an errand walk, just a slow, meandering stroll where I notice the holiday lights, the air, the quiet parts of the neighborhood. My favorite time is at dusk as the sky is lighting up with red this time of year and it’s starting to feel cooler (which in Florida means we’ve hit 70 degrees).
My tip: I leave my phone in my pocket. I’m not trying to track steps or listen to a podcast. I’m just walking to feel like myself again.
What happens: Sometimes I come back with clarity about something that was stressing me out. Sometimes I just come back feeling lighter. Either way, it’s worth it.
5. The Early Bedtime
Once a week (at least), I go to bed early. Not because I’m sick or exhausted, but because I choose to. I put on cozy pajamas, maybe read a little, maybe just close my eyes. Sleep is one of the first things we sacrifice during the holidays, and it’s one of the most important things we need. I wear an Oura ring to track my sleep and notice that if I push myself beyond the tired point, that I don’t sleep well (or enough). But, sometimes I need to be reminded because I’ll be knee deep in doing something (writing, housework, laundry, etc.).
My tip: I set an alarm on my phone that says “Start winding down.” It reminds me that rest is part of the plan, not something I fit in if there’s time.
What I skip: Dishes, emails, one more episode. All of it can wait. My body can’t.
Wrapping It Up
Holiday self-care isn’t about bubble baths and face masks (though those are great too). It’s about recognizing that this season asks more of you, and responding with gentleness instead of grinding through it. A quiet moment with something warm, a body check-in, permission to say no, a solo walk, and an early bedtime—these are the rituals that keep me grounded when the holidays try to sweep me away.
Because the best gift you can give anyone this season is a version of yourself that isn’t running on empty. And that starts with taking care of you, one small ritual at a time.
