The holiday season is upon us and Black Friday is almost here. It's coming at you like the crooked man from Raising Dion. Cue the pressure and stress. The next few posts will be on self-care holiday gifts to give your friends, family, or that special someone who you want to be at their best. To pamper you, right? Just kidding. In all seriousness, self-care holiday gifts are perfect for giving. You are not only giving someone a gift, you are giving someone the gift of wellness. Is there any better gift to give someone that you really care about? "Hey friend, I bought you this gift because I care about you and I want you to be mindful and present." How perfect is that?!
Self-care is so important in our busy lives. It keeps us well, it keeps us energized and it keeps us happy. It only takes 10-15 minutes a day and there are many ways to do it so it can be tailored to you, your lifestyle, and what you need. If this self-care holiday gift guide is for the reader and not for giving to someone, no judgments here! I'll cheer you on instead. Go you! You took a step towards wellness. If it's not for you and for someone else, I'll cheer you on just as much. Go you! You are helping someone take steps toward wellness! Woohoo :) Below are 5 self-care holiday gifts that you can give to yourself, your family, your friends, or that special someone this holiday season.
Self Care Holiday Gift #1- The Acupressure Mat, $30
Acupressure and acupuncture have been around for a while now. It was introduced in Chinese medicine about 5,000 years ago. But there is a difference between the two. Acupuncture is invasive, where professional sticks needles in your skin at certain points on your body. Acupressure is non-invasive and you can get the same benefits from the privacy of your own home.
This self-care holiday gift is good for family and friends who need an all-natural alternative to consistent aches and pains, who have trouble sleeping and would like something to help improve it, and those who are tense because of stress and need a way to relax. It's also great for your family or friend who is a DIYer and likes to take care of their own health and wellness in the comforts of their own home.
Self Care Holiday Gift #2- Affirmation Cards and Journal, $28
One incredible benefit of using affirmations is you become more aware of your daily thoughts. Do you, a family member or friend need more positivity? Affirmations are small little sayings that take a couple of minutes each morning or in your head throughout the day when you feel you need them. You will notice your thoughts starting to change. It took a little over a month for me to notice a change. But the great thing about affirmations… they go where you go. A daily habit of affirmations WILL reduce negative thoughts.
This self-care holiday gift is good for family, friends and of course, YOU who are struggling with feeling like they are not ___________ enough. I put a blank there because it is specific to everyone. For example, sometimes I don't feel good enough or appreciated enough. This may differ from person to person but affirmations can help with these feelings or help you to notice those negative feelings creep up.
This self-care holiday gift is also good for family and friends who need a boost of positive in their life, need reminders that small success is just as amazing as a big success, and for those who want to be surrounded by positive thoughts and people. A positive vibe draws positive people and positive attention.
The cards and the journal bundle well together to help bring a positive wellness routine that doesn't take very long into someone's life.
Self Care Holiday Gift #3- Astaxanthin, $19
Astaxanthin comes from algae and it’s actually what gives salmon its color. Although the name is complicating, the benefits, however, are not. Supplementing your body with Astaxanthin can help your skin, eyes, brain, and cell energy.
This self-care holiday gift is good for family and friends who have poor eyesight or poor eye health, for those who want to protect their brain from aging, and for those who are looking for a clean supplement to help improve their overall wellness. It's also a great stocking stuffer!
Self Care Holiday Gift #4- Contact Solution, $15 for 2 bottles
The chemicals in most big-name brand products have the ability to cause cancer, reproductive issues, or allergic reactions over time. Some products could cause more than one issue. Those issues caused enough alarm for me to start making the switch. I know there are many other things that can cause these issues but I didn’t want the products I was using on myself to be the cause of them. I felt that was almost self-damaging because I was putting that product on myself. Buying clean products was something I could control and I knew it was better for the environment. Now, I know the contact solution is a strange gift but it is where I started in the process of cleaning out the chemicals. It set the tone and it was a great starting point.
This self-care holiday gift is good for family and friends who wear contacts every day, who want to make the switch to chemical-free products and wipe out the giant chemical monster that is in their bathroom, and for those who are conscious about taking care of the environment. A bonus is it could be a great stocking stuffer!
Self Care Holiday Gift #5- B12, $10
B12 is known for helping our bodies produce energy and although this is true, there are a few other benefits from taking B12. B12 is also beneficial for your brain and your immune system. It helps keep your brain healthy and it helps improve your immune functions. It can protect you from dementia when you get older, it helps regenerate cells in your body and it boosts your immune functions. In other words, it helps keep your memory sharp for longer, it helps your cells regrow and it boosts your overall health by strengthening your immune functions that ward off infections.
Another great stocking stuffer! This self-care holiday gift is good for family and friends who want to keep their memory sharp for longer, those who want to strengthen their immune system to ward off infections (great gifts for teachers, healthcare professionals, and daycare workers), and those who want to have a boost of energy in a more natural way.
Treat yo'self and yo' family and friends to some wonderful self-care gifts this holiday season! Show someone how much you care about them by giving them the important gift of wellness and the beauty of self-care :) Stay happy and healthy everyone! And always remember to love yourself because you are WORTH IT!
Your Certified Brain Health Coach,
Ashley
Owner of SustainaBRAIN
