Twenty Five Lovely Post Holiday Stress Relief Tips
Christmas and New Year’s Day have come and gone. 2017 arrived and this week saw us passing the halfway mark and coming closer to the end of January. If you’re like me then you’ve probably exhausted all the open slots on your calendar, filling them with parties, social events, and more, a whirlwind lifestyle that can be totally exhausting. Sometimes you just need to figure out what you can do all by yourself. Getting in the swing of things proves to be even more stressful when you don’t have a clue on how to start taking advantage of the energy a new year offers.
What’s my advice and what works best for me? Ease into your groove. Seriously. Don’t make the mistake of trying to take on the world and wind up falling flat on your face from burnout.
No worries. We’ve compiled a monster list of suggestions and tips that work wonders for us here at LiWBF. Most of the items on this list make it easy for you to go solo. However, a few of the tips involve ways to go about turning basic daily activities into bouts of inspiration.
Kicking off our 21 Days of Loving Me Marathon (a whirlwind of daily posts that includes gift guides, product reviews, recipes, giveaways, date night ideas and more).
Let’s get started!
1. Take some time for you. Now this could mean several things, including simply sitting on your back porch and listening to nature. Most things on this list fall into this category.
2. Go on a shopping spree. Wait. Stop. No she didn’t just tell me to spend more money. I did. But I’m not suggesting you run out and spend thousands on new clothing. Mega sales happen at this time of the year. Set a tight budget and take advantage of liquidation sales. Stock up for next season.
3. Attend an art show. Every city has or lies near a metropolitan area that has a cool art center. Venture out to one. You’ll be glad you did.
4. Attend a play. This one’s on my 2017 bucket list.
5. Focus on a hobby. I’m hell-bent on finishing those pillow cases I’ve wanted to sew the past couple years.
6. Prepare for a DIY project. Choose something small or large. Right now, I’m simply suggesting that you gather pictures and make notes. Dare to dream big or little on this one.
7. Organize your finances. We’ll talk more about this in a separate post. For now, I’d suggest to start finding ways to cut small expenses.
8. Visit the bookstore and binge sample your favorite books. Guilty. The folks at Barnes and Noble love me thought so they don’t mind.
9. Visit the Museum of art and science. Or if you don’t have one in your city then venture out to a neighboring one.
10. Work on finishing up that sewing project that you’ve wanted to get around to for the longest time. You name it. The point here is that you focus on yourself for a while. You’ve taken care of everyone else throughout the holidays. Why not take some time to indulge in you.
11. Chill out with a good book. This one tops my list of post holiday stress relief techniques.
12. Plan some vacation time. That last week of the year makes the perfect time for vacation. I use this time as a transition between transforming my mind from the old ways of thinking to conditioning my thoughts for the New Year.
13. Do something completely childish and lose yourself in the process. Hint. Hint. Paintball.
14. Create A New Playlist. Music lovers unite. This simple tip excites us. By the way, if you haven’t already done so then check out our LiWBF Tunes series for ideas.
15. Upgrade your phone or tablet. Work out a deal with your phone company. Don’t pay full price. Don’t sign up for a contract. And remember when it comes to wireless companies, the loyalty card works wonders.
16. Have a Game of Thrones marathon. If you don’t own the DVDs then you can either buy the digital copies (best invention since liquid lipstick in my humble opinion) or watch them through Amazon Prime’s new monthly service. (No, I’m not an Amazon affiliate).
17. Make a garden plan. Use Pinterest as inspiration. I cannot wait for gardening season to start.
18. Take an extended run. Check out our Fit & Thrifty Diva series for inspiration.
19. Hit the gym three times in the same week. Don’t think about it. Just do it.
20. Smile at someone who’s getting under your skin. In fact, spend several days making the conscientious effort to smile even when you don’t feel like it. This works wonders for the soul. Trust me.
21. Watch romantic movies. Don’t be rolling your eyes at me now. LoL
22. Take a mini trip to a popular city close to you.
23. Meditate for five minutes each morning.
24. Make a donation to a charity. This can easily be done online. Choose your favorite or venture out and see what the world has to offer.
25. Enter all the fabulous contests and giveaways we’re going to have here on LiWBF and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter.
Enjoy life no matter what. We only get one chance to make it matter so why not make the most of our time while we can.
The holiday season continues throughout the first two months of the year due to Valentine’s Day. Use these techniques to grab some much-needed “me time” when you feel the overwhelm creeping into your beautiful world.
