4 Free Gifts You Can Give Yourself This Holiday Season
Holidays are coming *cue the Coca-Cola advert*. This year, things will undoubtedly look a little different, but what kind of end to 2020 would it be if that weren’t the case? COVID has plans to keep us distant this year, which can be even more difficult than other times of year, given that the holidays are always a time of togetherness.
Of course, thanks to capitalism and marketing, the holidays are also a time for gift-giving. This year has been far from easy, and we’ve continually underscored the importance of self-care throughout these difficult times. Now, we think it’s time that you give yourself some gifts this festive season, none of which will cost you a penny.
GIFT 1: The freedom to eat – and enjoy – food.
The holidays are surrounded by the concept of indulgence – or, rather, overindulgence – and whilst supermarkets and other food and drink brands push messaging that celebrates eating and drinking as part of the experience, it's simultaneously condemned by society and diet-obsessed media outlets. What kind of messed up mixed messaging is that? The most important thing to allow yourself to have is the freedom to eat food, and not just eat it, but to enjoy it, too. Even though we’re taught that foods come with moral values, for example, “good” vegetables, “bad” chocolate, it’s all bull. Allow yourself to focus on foods that you enjoy because you love the taste, because you love the memories you associate with it, because it makes you feel good. Push all the negative buzz out of the way and let yourself include food in your celebrations.
GIFT 2: The permission to celebrate as much, or as little, as you want.
Some people are Christmas people. Some people are not. You might simply just not be in the mood, or not have enough energy this year, and that’s okay. Relieve yourself of the pressure to act like a Whoville citizen out of fear that you’ll be labelled as the Grinch. It’s just another day of the year, and if you want to just treat it like any other Friday, then allow yourself to do that.
GIFT 3: The space and time to be alone, pause, and take a breath.
This year feels like, for the most part, it’s just been one long, slowed-down chunk of time. And in many ways, it has. But in addition to that, it’s also been a time of anxiety, of worry, of concern, and rapid levels of uncontrollability. Use some time over the holiday period, where the world slows down for a different reason, to give yourself some space, check in with yourself properly, put down the laptop, get off social media, find some quiet and just press pause. Take a breath; take as many breaths as you need. Acknowledge that you’ve made it through the most unstable and unprecedented year of your life (at least for the majority of people), and give yourself the time to do nothing. Clear your mind, focus on the present, find a way to truly relax. Your body and your brain will thank you for it.
GIFT 4: The release from worry surrounding holiday period weight gain.
Society loves to give us a reason to lose weight no matter where we’re at in the year. Diet culture instills fear around gaining weight, like it’s the worst thing in the world, and during the holidays and entering the new year, they seem to up the ante. Allow yourself to stop worrying about the prospect of gaining weight and let your body do and be whatever it wants; it will appreciate you not constantly trying to change it. Embrace, or even flat-out ignore, the size label in the back of your jeans. Appreciate your body doing what it does, regardless of whether it grows, shrinks, or stays the same. You may find yourself feeling a tad anxious that something fits a little tighter than before the holiday indulgence, but don’t allow it to consume your thoughts and force you to embark on a sucky short-lived diet plan that does nothing more than damage your self-worth and your set-point.
We promise, they truly are the gifts that keep on giving.
Image credit: Monika Grabkowska
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