For those of us in finals week, the song “I’ll have Blue Christmas” takes on a whole new meaning. The holiday season is definitely full of laughter and cheer, but it’s also full of unavoidable stressors. Whether you struggle with mental health or not, finals week, and the pressures of the holiday season can push anyone to their breaking point.

Whether it be finals, the gloomy weather, or having to navigate the pressures of Christmas shopping, it is extremely easy to get overwhelmed. In the midst of all the festivities, it's easy to forget to take time for yourself and make your happiness and health a priority. It’s super important to remember to practice self-care so that you can soak up all the wonderful things this time of year has to offer! Here are some tips to practice some self-care this holiday season!

1. Stick to a routine

Routine is key to maintaining some sort of normalcy during the mayhem of the holidays. If you’re a control freak like me and need a decent amount of structure, make sure you have one part of your day that remains the same. Whether it be waking up early to meditate every morning, or writing in a gratitude every night before bed. Some sort of daily task will help you stay grounded in the chaos of all of your holiday events.

2. Take a walk

Get outside as much as possible! When there are too many relatives around or you’ve wrapped your six-hundredth present, take a moment to get a breath of fresh air. The exercise and the outdoors will help clear your head and feel more centered.

3. Take a break from social media

The comparison game is pretty rampant during this time of year. Its easy to get sucked into the “their life is so perfect” attitude especially when you see a picture of someone getting that new car your dying for, or taking a cute couple picture when you’re basically dating your body pillow. But it's important to remember that social media is a highlight reel and not an accurate depiction of someone’s life. The girl with the shiny hair and the LuMee phone case might take the perfect selfie, but she has both joys and struggles like the rest of us. Getting some time “unplugged” helps you to take in all the incredible things around you, instead of what’s on your screen.

4. Stop with “should”

“Should” is the ultimate destroyer of happiness. Should leads to pressure and pressure leads to guilt and guilt leads to a not so holly jolly Christmas. If you find yourself doing something simply because you should; stop. We put so much pressure on ourselves to do what we “should”. We think, “I should go to that cookie exchange, I should help that third cousin decorate her house, I should go buy one more present even though I really don’t have the money.

Should. Should. Should.

So often during the holiday season, we get roped into things that we have zero interest in doing. Take an actual vacation on your vacation. Do what you want to do. Kick off your shoes, watch a movie, eat a piece of cake; or three. Do what will make you happy and make no apologies when you remove the “should”’s from your life.