The holidays are fast approaching, and by next week we’ll be in the full swing of the season! For some, that might inspire excitement and something to look forward to after the challenges we’ve faced the past two years. For others, it may bring up a tiny dose of social anxiety to step back into the bright lights of the holidays. Or perhaps, you’re a mix of both! Maybe you’re excited but still a little apprehensive, trying to remember how to keep track of gifting and family visits and work parties and staying present enough to enjoy the season.
While we love a holiday gift guide (and don’t worry, our silk robe gift guide is coming!), sometimes a guide to remember how to slow down and go with the flow is the biggest gift of all. So this week, we’re bringing five ideas together to spark inspiration in you as you define your seasonal self care and allow it to center you in the midst of the holiday hubbub. As with any self care practice, the best rituals are the ones that work for you. So in our list of tips to flow with the holiday season below, remember that they’re only suggestions meant to inspire your intuition. You ultimately know what’s best for you and most calming during a busy rush of a season. If you’re ready to reduce holiday stress, take these tips and find your flow through the holidays and beyond.
When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you do? Do you have a morning routine where you slip into your duster kimono robe and start your day, or do you sleepily roll out of bed and into the rush of the day? While the morning time isn’t the only time to find your calm, it’s your first chance of the day to set the tone. If you’re able to find a sense of calm first thing in the morning, you can keep recalling it during the day. Perhaps you feel calm by moving slowly through your morning routine and whenever you get rushed during the day, you can simply slow your movements (and your thoughts) down. Maybe what brings you calm is sensory. Drape yourself in the softness of big blanket or the luxuriousness of your women’s floral kimono robe. Light a candle that invigorates your sense of smell, or take a look at a painting or piece of art that brings beauty to your eyes. And remember, you are a work of art, so even taking a slow deep breath in the mirror before you start your day can instill that sense of peace and calm.
We are wired for connection, and after the past couple of years, we may have to remind ourselves that connecting with others is nourishing and healthy. So flow into this holiday season by not simply checking items off your to do list, but checking in with those you love the most. Sometimes that can be your partner, or your child, or a parent. Sometimes it’s someone who is the closest to us. Make the check in a special moment — even if it’s over Zoom! — and wear your long robes for women, put your hair down, pour a glass of wine and connect with the ones you love the most. This connection is the whole point of the season, but it can be easily missed if we’re not intentional about it.
One way to flow with the busyness of the season is to find yourself an anchor. What keeps you grounded and feeling centered in yourself? Perhaps it’s simply holding your child and looking out the window. Or maybe it’s more involved like a bubble bath followed by a skincare routine all while wrapped up in your women’s floral kimono robe and sipping a glass of champagne. Whatever it is that helps you ground down and into the moment, find at least five minutes a day to give yourself that groundedness. And know that as life gets busier in the coming months, you can always come back to that grounding practice that is meaningful for you.
Gifting can become a chore if you let it, but it’s best when it feels fun! Start early to find little pieces and gifts for the people you love the most. So many brands are starting their Black Friday sales earlier and earlier, so you can hop on the best deals of the season with plenty of time to get them under the Christmas tree. Our once-a-year Annual Sitewide Sale is coming up in just a few days, and if you’re signed up on our VIP list, you’ll be the first to shop our best selling silk robes and perfect gifts for all the ones you love the most.
Perhaps the best thing you can do to go with the flow this holiday season is to keep a little space for the whimsical. The whimsical is anything surprising, unexpected, fun, adventurous, or otherwise enlivening to you. It could be hiring the babysitter and heading out with your partner to a last minute date, or grabbing drinks with your best friend after work, or joining your favorite yoga class by skipping out of work early. That’s the joy of the whimsical — you can’t plan for it! But one thing you have to have is space. So create some space for yourself every day. Try not to pack your schedule so tightly that you aren’t able to enjoy those unexpected, exciting moments during the holiday season.
We hope your holiday season is full of the most important things — gratitude, family, friends, love, and loads of joy. Remember, lovely, you are strong, you are beautiful, and you deserve to feel like the queen you are, even in the midst of a the busiest and most wonderful time of the year!
