How to Celebrate Yuletide, Self-Care For Menopause.
In previous years I have shared these self-care tips over the 12 Days of Christmas.
In the past couple of years, I have leaned into the cyclical celebrations of the calendar year with the intention of feeling more aligned with the wider world.
In doing so I have created some lovely rituals to support me through the parts of the year that can leave me feeling sad. You can read more about protecting yourself from S.A.D. in this post; How to Deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder During Menopause.
This year I am adjusting my 12-day celebration to the 12 Days of Yuletide which begins on the Winter Solstice and carries us through to New Year’s Day, this makes more sense to me too.
In this post, I am sharing how to celebrate Yuletide for the modern menopausal woman in need of some self-care.
A History of 12 Days
I hated History at school, but now I love it haha!
Traditionally people used to follow a Lunar Calendar which left 12 days ‘spare’ at the end of the year. These twelve nights became a special where the veil between worlds was thin and many celebrations were held.
At the heart of the Yuletide celebration is the return of the sun at Winter Solstice, people still gather today at sites across the world to celebrate, you may be familiar with sites in the UK such as Stone Henge and Glastonbury Tor.
There is not a great deal of information known about what people did between the Solstice and New Year but in the interest of taking time to recharge and fill your personal bucket I have created 12 days of self-care.
Be intentional and set some time aside each day for yourself and perhaps take on the following self-care tasks.
1st Day of Yuletide – Take a nap
Happy Winter Solstice.
Today is the shortest day of the year, unfortunately in our modern society, we don’t use natural daylight but rely on alarms to rise from sleep or go to bed which can leave us feeling tired and burned out.
Today your self-care task is to take a nap.
Take some time out if you can, even just 10 minutes, set an alarm and close your eyes.
Studies show that taking a nap can:
- 😴 Improve short-term memory
- 😴 Lift your mood
- 😴 Make you more alert
- 😴 Ease stress
What more excuse do you need?
2nd Day of Yuletide – Laugh Out Loud
Today’s self-care task is to Laugh Out Loud.
What makes you laugh?
Try watching a funny film or sitcom or playing games with friends or family.
Laughing is so good for your wellbeing, it relieves stress and feelings of anxiety and depression.
Laughing is also a good muscle workout for your face and your abs 😜
3rd Day of Yuletide – Nature Walk
A long ‘To Do’ list and crappy weather may have you blinkered to the wider world. Being in nature can put life stresses into perspective for me.
How can you fit in a nature walk today?
Being out in nature has so many benefits for our overall health such as:
- 🌱Feeling psychologically restored
- 🌱Being exposed to vitamin D
- 🌱Brightening your mood
- 🌱Improving physical health
Even just a 15-minute walk at lunchtime or parking the car further away from your destination will provide benefits.
4th Day of Yuletide – Pamper
Twas the night before Christmas…
I still get excited about the arrival of the Big Man.
No doubt you are up to your eyes in last-minute shopping, wrapping, cleaning, food prepping?
What can you do to pamper yourself today?
You deserve to block out at least 30 minutes for you.
Pampering is a good way to help our body eliminate toxins.
Why not try:
💚Dry body brushing
💚A soak in Epsom salts
💚Moisturing your skin with an aromatherapy oil
Anything you do to pamper yourself improves your feeling of self-esteem and well-being, this is not just good for your mental health but also your immune system.
5th Day of Yuletide – Gratitude
Christmas may not be ‘normal’ this year for you, it isn’t always the happiest time of year for everyone.
We can’t always be HAPPY but we can be GRATEFUL.
What are you grateful for today?
If you have a busy day ahead, maybe take a few moments now to connect.
Gratitude is linked to increased feelings of well-being.
It can improve your mood and lower levels of stress and depression.
Merry Christmas 🎄
6th Day of Yuletide – Quality time
Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants and the day when they received a special Christmas box from their masters.
The servants would also go home on Boxing Day to give Christmas boxes to their families.
After the hustle and bustle of Christmas Day, you may have more time to spend quality time with your loved ones today or maybe today is the day you party.
Give people (or yourself) undivided attention today.
7th Day of Yuletide – Have Fun
Both myself and my husband have time off over the festive period.
During this time I can feel guilty that I am having time off and although I love this time to catch up on chores and get myself organised for the New Year it is easy to forget about fun.
Today’s self-care task is to have some fun.
This might be getting together with others, playing games with the kids or spending the day indulging in a hobby or pastime you love.
8th Day of Yuletide – Boost
I don’t like the word BOOST when it comes to health and nutrition.
If we ‘boost’ our immune health we can overstimulate it and cause a different set of problems.
Today your self-care task is to increase your intake of nutrients..
During the festive season, it is easy to get caught in that limbo of eating leftovers, munching on chocolates and crisps and not paying attention to what your body needs.
Try:
- 🥗Adding fresh produce to each meal or snack.
- 🥗Whipping up a smoothie (adding nut butter or seeds to make it well-balanced).
- 🥗Making a warming soup, sprinkle with pumpkin seeds for protein and magnesium.
The burst of micronutrients will ensure you have good energy and keep your immune system working optimally.
9th Day of Yuletide – Declutter
Never underestimate the positive health impact of a good declutter.
You may have received gifts that need a new home or still have festive tableware that needs to be returned to its rightful place.
A good way to declutter is to put everything that doesn’t have a home into a pile and then find a home for it.
If you no longer want or need it, recycle it, donate it or bin it!
A few years ago I read the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo.
I spent the next year systematically going through my home releasing anything I no longer wanted or needed and finding a home for everything else which brought me joy!
I thoroughly recommend it.
10th Day of Yuletide – No scroll
Now I realise that if you are seeing this post on social media you are scrolling and I thank you for your time in reading.
I am not suggesting a complete ban but today put your phone down if you can, it is so easy to get caught going down a rabbit hole only to surface 30 minutes later! Guilty 🙋🏼
Your self-care task today is only to use your phone with intention.
Try setting a timer to remind you to put your phone down, you might like to try this as a new healthy habit for 2024.
11th Day of Yuletide – Dream Big
New Year’s Eve!
Although we can make a fresh start on any day, New Year has the energy of a fresh start.
Spend some time today dreaming about what you would like your life to look like.
How will you feel this time next year if you achieve your dream?
What action do you need to take to achieve your dream and feel like this?
Dream big! You can achieve anything you set your mind to.
12th Day of Yuletide – Tools Down
Happy New Year, Bare Minimum Monday, Moon Day!
Today is a day of recovery for most of us.
A late night and maybe one drink too many?
There is no rush today, what is the bare minimum you need to do to win the day? You will find most things can wait until tomorrow.
2025 and Beyond 🚀
I hope you follow some of these tasks if not all and invest in your health and well-being this festive season.
How will you continue to become more aligned with your needs and make your health and well-being a priority in 2025?
If you would like to chat with me more about this, book a complimentary no-obligation 30-minute menopause assessment where you will be able to pick my brains and discover how I support women to reconnect with their bodies, understand the root cause of their menopause symptoms and overcome these naturally without HRT and rediscover their zest for life!
In the meantime, I wish you and yours a very Happy, Healthy and Harmonious Festive Season and I look forward to writing more blog posts and supporting you on your menopause journey in 2025 💚