Festive favourites playing on repeat, seasonal greeting cards popping up on every aisle, and a feeling of joyful cheer permeating the air — yep, the holidays are coming.

However, with these annual reminders of the season’s rapid approach, there’s also a corresponding rise in stress with the accompanying ‘to do’ lists. There’s meals to plan, presents to buy, cards to write, relatives to wrangle, and an endless string of parties to attend. They don’t call it the ‘silly season’ for no good reason!

Stress of any kind takes a toll, mentally and physically, and can make you feel more grinch-like than Christmas elf. So it’s even more important to make sure that you pay attention to your self-care needs.

“I love the festive season — it’s my favourite time of year,” says beauty influencer, Milka Yemima. “I love having family around, I love cooking, but I also think it’s so important to take time out for pampering. To put yourself first and to spoil yourself.”

How to Holiday with Milka Yemina

But self-care doesn't just mean manis and make-up, it also means getting back-to-basics and making sure that you’re taking care of yourself — outside and in. From blissful bathing and tea rituals, to sleep and DIY facials; read on for our guide to simple self-care practices that can be part of your holiday schedule and can help diffuse stress from dawn to dusk.

  1. PUT PEN TO PAPER
    Routines help guide our days and provide a sense of normalcy and control and in these erratic times, structure has never been as important. Remember, while we can’t control most of what happens during the day, we can control of how we start it, and how we end it

    Daily journaling has been increasingly popular and for good reason. No matter what form you adopt — be it free writing, or gratitude — journaling can help train your brain to search for positive things, rather than focusing on the negatives.

    Kickstart your morning and untangle your thoughts by making a habit of writing into a journal such as the Intuition Journal as soon as you wake. Putting your thoughts onto paper is a quick and easy way to bring some clarity and peace.

  2. TURN YOUR BATHROOM INTO A SPA
    The day spa may be your usual port of call for a bit of R&R, but your bathroom can be equally as indulgent — you just need some inspiration and a few products to turn it into an at home spa retreat.

    “Any good pamper day starts with a long soak in the bath,” says Milka. “I’m so incredibly grateful to have a bathtub and I take full advantage of this. I usually add magnesium-rich salts, such as Natio Spa Relaxing Magnesium & Mineral Bath Salts to help relax my body and mind.”

    Bathing can help to create better circulation and to relax your muscles and salts replenishing magnesium levels in the body, which often get depleted when we’re feeling stressed.

  3. SMELL YOUR WAY TO SERENITY
    An easy way to inject some extra Zen into your day is through scent. Be it a room spray, candle, incense or diffuser, the right fragrance can really help us to unwind, whilst also boosting our energy levels and moods. For the most blissful bathing experience, pop a few drops of essential oil into the water and light a scented candle such as the one in the SENSORI + Meditation Pro Ritual mist and candle combo pack.

    Don’t forget to put on some soothing music!

  4. BEST FACE FORWARD
    Continue the pampering post-bath by shining the self-care spotlight onto your skin.

    The silly season usually means a lot of parties and a lot of late nights, all of which can equate to a lacklustre complexion. The solution? A DIY facial.

    Make like Milka and begin by giving your face a thorough steaming using the Kinga Facial Steamer. Offering a deep down clean, and helping to unclog and open pores, the steamer preps the skin for maximum product absorption.

    Next, select a targeted mask. The Caim & Able Australian Clay Kit features multiple formulations of clay for different skin types and skin concerns.

    “I love to put my face mask into the fridge beforehand,” advises Milka. “That way it’s cool when it hits your skin, which helps to soothe and calm even more.”

    Once removed, finish with a nourishing serum or oil, such as the Rosehip face oil in the Antipodes Healthier Skin Heroes Skin Care Gift Set. Containing three Antipodes best-sellers, these products will brighten and hydrate.

  5. TAKE TIME FOR TEA
    Now fresh-faced and feeling fine, another surefire self-care strategy is the simple act of taking time out through tea.

    Much more than pouring hot water over a tea bag, the ancient practice of drinking tea can be a reminder to slow down, reflect and reground. And given the demands of today’s hectic 24/7 culture with its jam-packed schedules and incessant deadlines, we need tea now more than ever before.

    Put your smartphone aside for half an hour, and pour yourself a steaming cuppa as you watch the leaves unfurl and the water colour change. It’s a mindfulness exercise and tasty beverage in one.

    “Mindfulness is something I’ve been practicing for a few years,” says Milka. “And it’s absolutely a necessary ritual for me. Taking the time to be still and to ground myself is important for my self-care. I love the Lotus Glass Tea Tumbler as it comes with an infuser and strainer making it perfect for loose leaf tea.”

  6. CREATE A SLUMBER SANCTUARY
    Linked to myriad medical issues, ranging from heightened stress to weight gain to depression and a weakened immune system, ensuring you get adequate sleep is arguably the most important aspect of self-care, but it’s also often the most overlooked.

    In order to encourage enough sleep at home, focus on turning your bedroom into a sanctuary made for slumber. This means no TV or electronics, blackout blinds, and soft lighting. Next, to further relax yourself before your head hits the pillow, treat yourself to some self-massage using the Acupressure Gua Sha Massage Tools.

    Great for releasing muscle tension and enhancing relaxation, you can pair the specially designed massage tool with your choice of oil (lavender is great for easing a troubled mind) and afterwards, don the included eye mask, and drift off into a sound slumber.

Head to our Christmas store to shop products like these and more including the Christmas Store gift guides which make it fun and easier than ever to shop and save across all your holiday needs. Don’t forget to sign up to Prime to get access to fast and free delivery on Prime eligible orders; access to popular movies and TV shows with Prime Video; ad-free streaming of 2 million songs with Amazon Music; access to more than 1,000 e-books and magazines with Prime Reading; access to free in-game content and games with Prime Gaming; access to exclusive deals and shopping events such as Prime Day, and more. New customers in Australia can join Prime at amazon.com.au/prime with Amazon’s 30-day free trial, and then pay AU$6.99 a month, or save 30 per cent with an annual membership at AU$59.