Fun Ways to Embrace the Festive Season
Mark Kennedy
18 December 2024
The festive season is often described as “the most wonderful time of the year,” but the reality is that it doesn’t always
Halloween is approaching and spooky season is in full swing. It’s time to swap your schoolwork for spooky stories and sweets! This half-term break is the perfect opportunity to press pause, take a break from all the work you’ve been doing and focus on taking care of yourself. As we draw ever closer to winter, you can feel a chill creeping in. The nights are getting darker, days are gloomier and our moods can start to drop. The change in seasons can affect us more than we’d expect, but don’t worry, we’ve got lots of self-care tricks and treats that will help lift your spirits.
The way we talk to ourselves has a massive impact on how we feel. How often have you caught yourself thinking, “I’ll never get this done,” or “Why am I struggling when everyone else seems to be fine?” Sometimes our minds can start to play tricks on us, and we start to believe these negative thoughts. When that happens, it can make a bad day feel even tougher.
Looking at things from a new perspective can really help. Instead of letting those thoughts take over, focus on celebrating the little wins and remind yourself that you’re doing your best. Even a small shift, like telling yourself, “I’ll tackle one thing at a time” or “I’m making progress,” can make a surprising difference in how you feel.
Self-care isn’t just about taking breaks or treating yourself; it’s also about being able to build yourself up, especially when things feel tough. That’s why positive self-talk is something you should practise all the time! You deserve to feel good about yourself, no matter what. Building yourself up with positive language helps to strengthen your resilience. So, when challenges come your way or low mood creeps in, you’ll find that you’re already in a better headspace to handle them. You’ll already have that supportive inner voice, ready to give you a boost.
A day or two spent lounging around in the week doesn’t hurt, in fact, it can be beneficial! Sometimes there’s nothing better than curling up on the sofa and watching your favourite TV show or getting stuck into a good book. Taking time out to pause and relax will help calm your mind and leave you feeling refreshed. With that being said, don’t rot in bed all week long!
Exercise is good for your body and your soul. It releases endorphins and other chemicals in your brain that brighten your mood and leave you feeling more alert. It’s also a great source of motivation as you can set goals and challenge yourself. This is great for boosting your self-esteem and helping you feel more confident.
Everyone has different interests and abilities so find something that excites you. You could join a sports club, find a dance class or try something more calming like yoga. It’s not necessarily about forcing yourself to complete an intense workout if that’s not something you enjoy, you just need to get your body moving. It could be that you go for a calm stroll to clear your mind so, wrap up warm and get outdoors! Enjoy the crisp fresh air and take in as much of the sunlight as you can during the darker season.
It can be hard to pick yourself up when you’re feeling down but try not to not dwell on things that are worrying you and embrace the present moment. Halloween is the perfect opportunity to have some fun – nobody is too grown up to celebrate! You could do something creative like carve a pumpkin, decorate your home or make a costume.
Spending time with friends and family is a great way to get into the spirit of the season. Why not visit a pumpkin patch and find the perfect pumpkin for your front door? Meet up with your friends and enjoy some time together away from school. You could watch a scary movie or tell each other ghost stories. Have a party and play games with each other, with or without costumes. Bake Halloween treats to enjoy, like cookies and cupcakes or roast some marshmallows over a fire. There’s plenty to do this time of year.
If you’re not feeling festive, that’s okay too. Don’t feel pressured into saying yes to everything but do try to get out and have some fun. Sometimes the thought of socialising is worse than actually doing it. More often than not, you’ll find that you enjoy yourself more than you anticipated!
There are also plenty of ways to enjoy your time alone, especially in the colder months. Try to do at least one thing you love each day. Explore your hobbies or try something new that you wouldn’t normally do! You could read a chapter of your favourite book, spend a couple of hours playing your favourite computer game, pick up a warm drink from your favourite café or have a bath at the end of a tiring day. Self-care doesn’t have to take long; it’s about finding little moments of joy.
Halloween brings out all kinds of creepy things like ghosts, monsters and haunted houses. But beyond the jump-scares and fake cobwebs, it’s time to think about something even more daunting… our real, everyday fears. Many of us have worries about the future, doubt our abilities, or feel nervous in new situations. These fears are totally normal and understanding them can help you to move forward.
Reflecting on what you’re afraid of can help you uncover what really matters to you. Sometimes, our fears reveal that we deeply care about something – like doing well, fitting in, or reaching our goals. If you’re avoiding speaking up in class or going for a new opportunity, it might not just be because you don’t want to do it; it could be that you’re worried about not measuring up. That fear of failure shows that you want to succeed and put your best self forward. By recognising this, you can start seeing fear as something to work with, not run from.
Facing fears isn’t about jumping headfirst into everything that scares you and getting rid of them completely; it’s about learning to keep going in spite of them. With each little step you take you prove to yourself that you can handle more than you think. This Halloween, take a moment to consider something that is scaring you, then take one small, brave step forward. You might surprise yourself with how strong you really are!
Whilst it’s important to switch off and look after ourselves, sometimes we have responsibilities to consider too, like that homework that’s due when you get back to school. If that’s the case, try to find the balance between getting work done and enjoying your free time! Plan ahead when possible and aim to complete things early – once they’re done, you’ll have more time to do things you enjoy. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by a big task, break it down into small steps, so you won’t even notice the brief escape from relaxation. It’s better to have a couple of productive days at the start than a stressful Sunday trying to finish your homework.
Try doing some light revision in the morning during breakfast, so then you can enjoy the rest of the day knowing you did something productive. Play a documentary or podcast about a subject you’re learning about as you do other stuff. Whilst this might not be the most exciting way to spend your time, it will help ease the pressure. You’ll head back to school feeling confident and prepared!
We hope these tips have helped you get into the Halloween spirit and given you some ideas for making the most of your half-term. But remember, the journey doesn’t have to end here. Using a self-care tracker can help you to cultivate a bit more time within your day for you to focus on your wellbeing.
If you’d like to give it a go, we have a free template for you to download and use as and when you need it!
Self-care is the best “treat” you can give yourself so, use this worksheet to start incorporating the tips you’ve learnt into your daily routine. Track your daily goals, record your sleep, keep a tally of your water intake, plan balanced meals, note down any exercise or movement you accomplished, and keep tabs on your overall mood.
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