Embrace December with These Essential Self-Care Tips for the Holiday Season
- Jeannine Love
- 10 minutes ago
- 3 min read
As we head towards winter, the days continue to get shorter and colder, beckoning us to slow down and stay home more often. While we may feel inclined to stay home and settle in, we also have many celebrations this month. To balance the hustle and bustle of the holidays, be sure to eat healthily when you’re not celebrating, and get some rest. To help you maintain balance during the festive season, here are some self-care tips for December.
December Self-Care Tips
Food
In general, eat warm, cooked foods; winter is not the time for cold, raw foods like salads or smoothies. For breakfast, eat cooked fruits or hot cereals; for lunch and dinner, eat soups, stews, and root vegetables as well as protein. Also eat seasonal foods, which include:
Fruits – cooked apples, apricots, dates, figs, grapefruit, lemons/limes, oranges, pears, tangerines, plums, pomegranates and cranberries.
Veggies – Brussel sprouts, carrots, chilies, corn, garlic, green beans, cooked greens, leeks/onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, turnip and winter squashes.
Grains – amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, wheat.
Legumes – lentils, mung beans, navy beans, and black beans.
Nuts & Seeds – almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Animal products – poultry, eggs, freshwater fish, shrimp, and venison.
Oils – almond oil, flax seed oil, ghee, mustard oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil.
Sweeteners – honey, jaggery, and molasses.
Herbs
Cook with warming spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg to aid digestion and circulation.
Try herbal teas such as ginger to warm you up and to aid digestion, fennel to reduce gas and bloating, and chamomile or lavender to soothe your nerves.
Drink warm water throughout the day. Water hydrates you, but warm water also aids digestion, supports detoxification, and boosts the immune system.
To strengthen the immune system, use herbs such as ashwagandha, astragalus, echinacea, licorice root, ginseng, tulsi, and turmeric.
Lifestyle
Abhyanga or Self Massage with warm oil will help soothe dry skin and improve circulation.
Exercise is crucial during winter as the cold weather can lead to feelings of sluggishness. Exercise increases circulation and warms you up, and it may help you avoid the "winter blues". Researchers at Duke University observed that individuals who engage in regular exercise are less prone to depression, and that exercise can aid in alleviating symptoms for those already dealing with depression. So get moving! If it's very cold or windy outside, exercise indoors - try yoga, dance, Pilates, the treadmill, or weights. Yoga poses that generate heat and balance the Vata and Kapha doshas include vigorous, grounding, and warming sequences like Sun Salutations, warrior poses, twists, inversions, and backbends. These activities enhance circulation, counteract the cold and heavy qualities of Kapha, and offer grounding and stability for individuals with a Vata constitution. On clear, sunny days, hiking or walking might be enjoyable, but be sure to dress warmly.
Woman Doing Yoga in Warm Comfortable Room Use a humidifier to combat the dryness of indoor heating. It will keep your skin and upper respiratory tract hydrated. You can also use Nasya Oil to lubricate the sinuses so that they don't dry out.
Get some rest. The longer nights and shorter days indicate that you should give your body some rest. Go to bed early and wake up early. To relax and get a good night's sleep, try a cup of Golden Milk. With the shorter days, it's easy to get a little extra, and much needed, sleep.
Enjoy this wonderful time of year – but be sure to get some R&R.
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