10 Ways to Keep Your Spirits Up at Christmas

It might be the most wonderful time of the year, but Christmas can also be a tough time for so many people. If you’ve recently been through a breakup, lost a loved one or things just aren’t going so well, Christmas can be a really hard time of year.

With the pressure to be happy and cheerful all around, it’s very easy to feel down and anxious. Here’a a few things that might help to keep yourself and your mind busy during the Christmas break (and all year round!)

These are things that help me when I’m feeling low, so hopefully one or two of them might help you too!

1. Bake – I love to bake. The process of following a recipe, combining ingredients together and seeing the (delicious) results is really satisfying, and it gives you something nice to eat all week!
2. Watch a movie – Watching a movie is one of the best ways to take your mind off things. For a few hours you can put down your phone, step out of your life and step into someone else’s. If it’s a comedy film then that’s all the better!
3. Read a book – Again, a great way to give yourself a break. Re-read one of your favourites or get sucked into a new series.
4. Have a bath – (Lush bath bomb essential) Having a bath literally forces you to step away from technology and to just relax. Bring a book or magazine with you, or just sit and think to yourself.
5. Have tea with friends – When I’m feeling down the last thing I ever want to do is see other people, but I always force myself to because every single time I see my friends I always feel so much better. Bring some of your freshly baked treats, 😉 have tea and have a good oul’ chat!
6. Make a list – There’s something about making lists that makes me feel better. Any kind of list at all. It could be things you want to do, things you’re proud of or simply what to buy in the food shop next week.
7. Talk it out – Another thing I hate doing, but I never ever regret it. It takes a lot of courage to open up to someone and tell them how you’re feeling but honestly, it’ll take so much weight off your shoulders.
8. Clean! – All of the clean-freaks out there will know what I mean when I say that cleaning can be so therapeutic. You can get sucked into it for ages and seeing the results is so satisfying!
9. Get out and about – Hands up who turns into a couch potato at Christmas? *raises hand* When the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over, it’s easy to fall into the routine of not budging from the sofa for a week. While that’s great for a while, after a couple of days you can start feeling de-motivated and deflated. Get out into the fresh winter air, wrap up and go for a good walk. Bring a friend with you and you’ll feel twice as good!
10. Make plans – I believe that having something to look forward to, no matter how big or small, is so so important. Whether it’s planning to meet a friend for coffee or organising a weekend away, having something nice in your diary can make the days you’re feeling down a bit more bearable.

As I said, these are just a few things that work for me. Everybody is different and has different ways to make themselves feel better, it’s just about figuring out what they are!