3 Ways to Treat Yourself Right in the Month of December

December 19, 2017

It’s almost Christmas! That often means jostling with the Christmas crowd, party planning, and indulging in the good food that comes with celebrating Christmas! We’ve all experienced stress at some point of buying a gift, and we’re probably also guilty of always eating a little too much of that turkey at Christmas dinner. That is why it is important to read this post about treating yourself right in this month of indulgence. After all it’s a month of delight not only for your loved ones, but for yourself too.

Take your gift shopping online

Why do you have to put yourself through a backache from hours of shopping and scouring the malls for the perfect gifts when you can do it in the comfort of your home? It’s so close to Christmas day and no doubt you are feeling the stress of not having all your gifts ready. That is why it’s the best time to get comfortably in front of your laptop, skip the physical burnout and leave the hard work to these online retailers.

These are some online retailers that you can visit to get those gifts in time for Christmas! Head over now!

Online retailer	Gift	Super Farmers Tips	Delivery time
BoxGreen	Snacks & Vouchers!	· Get the Superfood Box that comes with 12 different snacks with superfood ingredients · Send e-vouchers that will entitle the recipient from 3-15 monthly snack boxes, no need to worry about not getting the gift voucher to them in time!	Typically 1 day, but expect 1-2 days’ delay due to Xmas rush
Naiise	Gifts & Workshops	· Use Express Shipping for local instock items at no additional charges · Splurge a little for your loved ones by gifting them with a workshop – no need to worry about delivery time. Purchase the workshop, and leave the recipient’s name, email, and contact number in the Cart page before checking out	Express shipping 1-3 days
Uniq Gift	Gifts and Workshops	· Shop by budget, by occasion or by category to get the perfect gifts for your loved ones · Gifts range from food, to spa experiences and batik painting classes so you can find unique gifts for anyone!	1-3 days upon successful order placement, for self-collection can collect on the next working day after order

Instead of rushing to malls and stressing yourself out, take the time commuting to relax at home. December is the perfect time for some self-reflection before another new year begins.

Remember the important things, give time to what matters

You might be hustling at work to get some final documents settled in preparation for the new year. Think late nights at work, constantly scanning through emails at breakfast, and simply having no time for anything else just so you can finish everything before the Christmas holiday.

Stop and breathe. Remember the important things. Do you really have to finish that now, or can you have a nice breakfast with your family and have a conversation before you have to hustle at work? Sometimes we get caught in the process of wanting to finish things, that we neglect to prioritize. Knowing that we are balancing work and life has a relaxing effect, and one would not feel so overwhelmed. You will also feel more accomplished and confident, knowing that you have a support system.

So remember these 3 simple pointers—

Mealtimes are not for work. They are for conversations and reflections. Food is more than sustenance, it makes you happy; enjoy it.
Schedule your priorities, instead of prioritizing your schedule. You decide what is important and how you spend your time.
Spend time well, live life well. Life is more than your work. Take time for your family and friends. Don’t wait until it’s the “right time”, the right time is always now.

Be mindful about your nutrition intake

The stress from the Christmas season doesn’t only come with looking for the right gifts. It can persist long after December is over so you may still be stressing over the extra kilo gained. We’re not suggesting that you avoid the goodies, which would be preposterous. We're recommending you apply mindful eating during your Christmas gatherings.

Instead of counting calories (please don’t do that), keep track of your food intake for nutritious value. If you know that you will be eating a bunch of unhealthy fried food at the dinner party, pack your breakfast and lunch full of nutritious food like fruits and vegetables. The point is to keep your day’s intake balanced out. We don’t recommend skipping meals to compensate for one heavy meal, because that is when we overeat.

If you have read our article on mindful eating, you might have gotten an idea of how to avoid overeating. Following these pointers might help you treat your body right in this holiday season:

Eat slower
Know your body’s personal hunger signals
Appreciate your food
Take charge of what goes into your body
Be intentional in consuming nutritious food throughout the day

Happiness comes with giving, but the process doesn’t have to stress you out more than necessary. Happiness comes with good food, especially if you appreciate it fully and feel good about yourself and your body after a satisfying meal. You are important, and your happiness is yours to create. Care for yourself, because you matter. Happy Holidays everybody!

Written by Ange Chua
Edited by Cynthea Lam

Ange Chua is an aspiring bird-watcher trying to fix her black thumbs. When she is not writing, you'd find her drinking tea out of teacups or reading in bed with her dog. She thinks her spirit animal is an alpaca.