Christmas and the holidays can be a hectic and stressful time for many people. Sometimes, you need to take a step back. Take it slow and enjoy the simple things! Here are 10 ways to slow down and enjoy Christmas.
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1. Create a New Tradition
Personally, I feel like the magic of Christmas is really felt in those family traditions we hold near and dear to our hearts.
Creating simple new traditions around the holidays can make those moments extra special and enjoyable. These new traditions don’t need to be grand, just simple and enjoyable.
For example, it can be as simple as watching everyone’s favorite Christmas movie for a day or going out to see Christmas lights on certain neighborhoods that go all out each year.
Related: 7 Ways To Live a Slower Paced Life
2. Give Back
Christmas is all about giving, and it feels so good to give back! You can take a day to give back to the community by volunteering your time or donating some money or even pantry staples to those in need.
Giving back doesn’t always have to be done at a large scale such as giving back to the community, but you can also find ways to give back to your loved ones. Maybe you can help out a little more around the holidays or do something special for someone you love!
3. Watch Your Favorite Christmas Movies
One of my favorite things to do around Christmas time is watch holiday movies! I love getting all cozy on the couch with some tea and snacks and watching my favorite Christmas movies.
Some of my favorite are The Grinch, Home Alone, and The Santa Clause. My husband also loves doing this every year because we love our nights in. It’s actually one of our favorite things to do together!
Watching Christmas movies is also a great way to relax and enjoy an evening.
4. Bake Cookies
Another one of my favorite Christmas activities is baking! Especially cookies. I’m just one of those people who LOVES cookies, ALL cookies.
However, Christmas sugar cookies are just so classic, you know? If for some weird reason you don’t like cookies, you can really bake anything!
You can bake some bread, pie, cake, muffins, whatever! It makes your home feel so cozy and the delicious aroma of baked goods fills the air. I think it’s so soothing so to bake and it is a great way to slow down and make something from scratch.
5. DIY Christmas Cards
My husband and I love homemade Christmas cards! We usually take a day to craft and DIY a few cards for our loved ones. It’s actually really fun and a great way to be creative.
It also allows us to personalize cards to make the person feel extra special when they receive it! I think this is such a fun idea, especially if you need something to keep your kids busy.
Honestly, we don’t have kids yet and we love doing this! We usually get craft paper, metallic pens/markers, and holiday stickers to make our cards.
6. Sip some Tea
One of my favorite ways to relax and slow down is to make a warm cup of my favorite tea. I have tea 1-2 times a day (morning and evening).
I’m currently loving Chai tea in the mornings and either Chamomile or Turmeric Ginger in the evenings.
Tea is my go to and drink of choice. It’s so soothing and warms me up during these colder months!
While I sip tea, I will usually not do anything else but sit there and try to be fully present in the moment. I focus on my breathing and it really helps clear my head!
7. Listen to Christmas Music
Listening to Christmas music is something I recently began doing. I usually listen to it in the mornings while I get ready for my day and clean up after breakfast.
I also listen to it in the evening after dinner during my quick evening cleaning routine. Playing the music plus having the Christmas tree lit is such a great way to get into the holiday spirit!
I am currently loving the Christmas Jazz Coffeeshop playlist on Spotify! I love the mood it sets and I think it’s one of my favorite slow thing to do for Christmas.
8. DIY Christmas Décor
Another great slow thing to do for Christmas is to DIY some Christmas décor rather than buying it.
Making homemade décor can be a fun way to spend the day with your family or even by yourself. I have seen tons of amazing ideas on Pinterest such as this DIY orange garland or these cute sock gnomes!
Related: Neutral Minimalist Christmas Décor
9. Try a New Recipe
Just like I love baking, I love trying new holiday recipes! I especially love it when my husband joins me and we cook together! It makes a fun, stay-in date and it’s a great way for us to spend time together without having to leave the house.
Recently, we tried to veganize a pozole recipe, and it came out great! Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew/soup that my family usually makes every Christmas. I mainly eat a plant based diet and my husband is vegetarian, so this recipe was so good to make for us!
Find the recipe here.
10. Enjoy Outdoors
Finally, both my husband and I love getting outside whenever we can. Staying active is very important to us, even throughout the holidays.
Don’t get me wrong, we defiantly love staying in and snuggling up on the couch a lot of the time, but getting out every now and then really helps us to slow down and take a step back.
Personally, we don’t live in an area that gets extremely cold in the winter time, but I feel like even if we did we would still get outside! Just bundle up and play in the in the snow, take a brisk walk, and just take in some fresh air.
Getting outside can really ground you and is so beneficial for your mental and physical health. It’s the perfect way to slow down around Christmas time!
These are just some ways you can slow down and enjoy Christmas, but I’m sure there are many other ways too! I hope you are able to try some of these activities, slow down, and have a wonderful Christmas!
Sincerely,
Denise XOXO
