Self-Care Includes a Wide Range of Things That Boost Health and Well-Being
Self-care is all the steps you take to tend to your physical and emotional health in the ways you are best able to do so.
“We all have physical, emotional, and social needs,” says Natalie Capano, a licensed mental health counselor in the New York City area. And we need to make time for a variety of self-care practices that meet all those needs, including the social ones, she says.
Holiday traditions can provide a sense of grounding and relief during the busy holiday season, she notes. They provide a sense of familiarity that’s comforting during times of increased stress. It’s all self-care, Capano says.
While not all holiday traditions and rituals are thought of as health-promoting (seasonal sweets and staying up way past bedtime to ring in a new year, for example), if you enjoy them in moderation, they can certainly be part of a healthy lifestyle. That’s because they help you fulfill some of these fundamental needs of connection and belonging, Manly explains.
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What the Science Says About Family and Traditions and Connectedness
Holiday traditions provide us with an opportunity to focus on what unites us in a world that often feels isolating, Manly says.
“When we share in traditions that have been passed on from prior generations, we feel connected to those who are with us and those who are not,” she explains. “And, when new traditions are fostered and celebrated, we feel interconnected, knowing that we’ve offered a part of ourselves that may become part of future generations’ traditions.”
Research shows that participation in family rituals (actually doing them year after year and not just reminiscing about them) boosts feelings of closeness with other family members and self-reported enjoyment (read: happiness), according to a study.
A large review of 32 studies that investigated how rituals (holiday celebrations, family reunions, and Sunday dinners) affected the psychological well-being of families concluded that, indeed, they promote a strong sense of personal identity in individuals along with feelings of connection.
And let’s not forget the obvious: Many holiday traditions and rituals are fun. You (or your family) probably started doing them because you enjoy them, which is a benefit in itself, Manly says. “Engaging in nonwork activities can be deeply rewarding.”
Baking cookies, decorating your home, or writing holiday greeting cards can all be relaxing and restorative, too, which means they can be good for mental health, she adds. “Many people feel recharged and relaxed when sharing holiday traditions with others.”
Relaxing activities help lower levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in the body, improving sleep and overall well-being, says Meghan Marcum, PsyD, the chief psychologist at A Mission for Michael, a mental and behavioral health treatment center in San Juan Capistrano, California. Interacting or bonding with others triggers the release of oxytocin, a feel-good hormone that promotes feelings of emotional security and attachment, research shows.
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