Breeze through the stresses of the holiday season with this handy list of self-care tips from some of our beloved therapists. We’ll be sharing more holiday survival self-care tips throughout the festive season on Instagram, so keep an eye out and let us know what works for you.
1 – Set a clear intention
Reflexologist Gabriela Zajarosova advises to choose a new perspective:
“To avoid stress this holiday season, I would suggest creating a different focus – a deeper emotional connection rather than fulfilling desires to do things perfectly or overwhelmed by having high demands for these perfect gifts, the abundance of the most delicious meals, the most attractive decoration… By setting a clear intention to have a different experience this Christmas you will naturally start to make more conscious and healthier choices for your wellbeing and others will benefit and enjoy your company much more.
“We do remember the feeling of Christmas more than what food we ate or what gifts we received. Stress can be eliminated by making a different choice of priorities. Try it this year. Come to receive a nurturing and distressing treatment – a combination of foot and facial reflexology will bring you back to balance.”
Click here to book a reflexology session with Gabriela in Camden.
2 – Just breathe
Massage therapist Louis Divine shares a simple but powerful tool (that is oftentimes overlooked):
“Struggling through crowds of people? Feeling stressed out already? Why not just… breathe. Close your eyes and focus on your breath, inhale deeply through your nose and out through your mouth – and repeat. You can also count the length of your inhale; make the exhale the same length as well. If your mind starts to wander gently bring it back to your breath. You can go a little deeper and make your exhales a count of one longer, for example inhale for a count of four and exhale for five. This helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system – your rest and digest response. Focus on your breath for as long as it feels comfortable, even just a minute or two is fine.
“Screaming kids? Breathe. Too many choices? Breathe. Everything getting on top of you? Just… breathe.”
Louis offers a number of different types of massage at triyoga, including deep tissue, thai yoga, thai foot, sports and remedial, or Indian head massage. Click here to book a massage with Louis in Shoreditch.
3 – Create moments of ritual
Massage therapist and reiki healer Meriel Rosenkranz says:
“Living in London most of us tend to have hectic lives always on the go. To stay sane and balanced I look for little islands of calm within my day and give them my fullest attention. One such moment is my daily cup of tea. I am quite particular in how I prepare it and I take the time to focus on the detail of the process to get it just right. I find that giving it all my attention and carrying out every move with care is like a little meditation. Your ritual might be a different one. What makes you slow down and honour your needs?”
Click here to book massage or reiki with Meriel in Soho.
4 – Don’t forget fresh air and fun
Massage and craniosacral therapist Alexander Fenn shares a few top tips:
“One way of coping with the potential family friction during the holiday season is by taking a walk outside in the fresh air to clear the mind and reassess the situation. Also try to take time out for the things you specifically like to do, whatever they are. Exercise is an excellent way to relieve stress and to freshen my mind so I would thoroughly recommend at the very least a walk, or if you are able, a run or a gym session.”
5 – Think ‘interesting point of view’
Therapist Sezen Ozay gives a unique perspective on letting go:
“There are billions of people in the world and everybody has their own IPOVs. But when it is family time, those point of views start to be very very interesting. So, this year instead of taking every comment seriously, just say IPOV to yourself until you feel relaxed. It works every time I try.”
From massage to physiotherapy and acupuncture to reflexology, our hand-picked team of independent therapists offer the highest quality treatments and therapies across London. Click here to view our full treatments schedule and to book a bit of holiday pampering for yourself or someone you love.
