Christmas Gift Guide for Wellbeing
To help encourage mindful and meaningful Christmas presents I’ve created a gift guide with my best tips for items and routines - big and small - which will help support your health and self-care in your everyday life. As the climate crises rages - very much due to our high consumption levels - it’s important to remember we can each make a difference by carefully choosing how and what we invest in.
On this list, you’ll find items to help support your health, sleep, nervous system, movement, skin and more. Have a look ♡
SAUNAS & RED LIGHT THERAPY
Saunas and red light therapy are wonderful ways to support our relaxation, stress rates, immunity and quality sleep - particularly during the cold winter season. Although they differ, both help improve blood circulation, and cardiovascular and brain health to the point where it works as a preventative measure against dementia. A great gift wish for Christmas could therefore be one of the following two:
Dry saunas fiercely help support our longevity as recent studies show a relative risk reduction of 40 percent and absolute risk reduction of 18 percent in all-cause mortality. It also helps us detoxify and support our metabolic health. I personally can’t tell you the difference it made for myself last winter. Several times a week I put aside 20 minutes just for me to get warm in my blanket and it made a big difference both to my sleep, nervous system and general body temperature. It’s important to note though, that the minimum effective dose needed is 4 x 20-minute sessions per week at 80 degrees Celsius. I’ve linked in the title to the brand I’m using (it’s not a collaboration), but there are many different ones. Based on my own research I opted for this one, but have a look around and see what is right for you.
Red light therapy is different to saunas although they do share some of their effects. The main difference though is how the red light therapy comes in with healing waves of light, which help reduce inflammation, chronic pain (like joint pain), eye, hair and dental health as well as increases cellular function, which helps slow down our aging and help us recover after sport. Last winter I started exposing myself to this light once a week and it really did feel wonderful in its subtle way of working. By having your own light you could spend a dedicated 10 minutes in the mornings and evenings to help land into or rinse off the day and support your mindfulness and health daily! The lovely brand I’m recommending here offer different panels and have provided a 15 percent discount by using the code MAI15.
3. Cupping
Cupping is a wonderful tool to help aid our lymphatic system in releasing toxins. It also works on our fascia hence it helps neutralise muscle tensions held in our facial tissue, increase blood circulation, promote cell regeneration and hydration as well as help prevent wrinkles from forming. With a daily morning and/or evening fascia routine we actively support our skin and fascial health, whilst creating a space to breathe and tune in with ourselves. It’s a beautiful practice to cultivate. Also, I love the new beautiful shell design of the latest Obsido cups. They beautify the bathroom and help remind us to do our ritual if we leave them standing out. (You can read more about the fascia and why it’s important to care for it here).
4. Oils from Aromatherapy associates
Aromatherapy works wonders to promote healing, support our health and bring us into the body! Various herbs serve different purposes, but they’re so powerful in their subtlety. I’ve used the aromatherapeutic oils from this beautiful brand in my sessions and for my personal health for years and I love them!! In busy periods I use the shower oil as a self-care ritual, which you can see described here and to help me de-stress I inhale their lovely de-stressing oils.
5. Beautiful Notebook from Altelier Aarhus
The power of having a journal as a space of self reflection, connection and compassion cannot be understated. By using a book to write down our experiences and perspectives, we will always have a ‘process buddy’. Writing down our thoughts and feelings and reacting into words in a book when we’re triggered lets us see what our thoughts are actually telling us. So we can meet them, validate our feelings and be compassionate with ourselves - and respond accordingly.
In times of triggers it’s common to either suppress our emotions or react outwardly. However, with a journal as a process buddy we can find a space in the middle: a place to process and land to support ourselves - before expressing to others from a more calm and grounded place. As the feminine in every human processes through connection and talking, whilst the masculine tends to go for solitude, a journal can help be a bridge in our relationship with others, when we’re not in the same space. It provides, both comfort perspective, empowerment and greater self awareness. There are many beautiful notebooks, but I love the look, feel and quality of this one.
6. Understatement Period Panties
Beautiful period panties not only support our body and the environment, it also helps us celebrate our monthly moon. Our moon cycle is a sacred part of a female life, yet many of us have learned to consider it an inconvenience. Since finding these beautiful sets of underwear I’ve felt more beautiful during this time, but also very supported. Before buying the panties thinking of wearing panties like this kind of grossed me out a bit, but after giving them a chance I feel the opposite. They’re convenient, beautiful and comfortable. Maybe give them a try!
IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP, BOOST YOUR HEALTH
Sleep is the foundation for everything we do. It’s our power plug and recharge station and we spend nearly one third of our life sleeping. The quality of our sleep determines not just our energy levels, but also impacts our blood sugar levels, metabolism, mental clarity, nervous system, and so much more. If we can help ourselves improve the quality of our sleep, we can therefore boost our health tremendously. To do this, it’s important to both support our sleep quality and ensure the environment we lie in are nurturing and (free of toxins). A few gift suggestions on this topic is therefore in order:
The kind of nightwear we use deeply affects our temperature and our skin. In winter, you may find that an organic cotton pyjamas is very supportive - although perhaps slightly less sexy than your silk slip dress - as it helps our skin breathe and keeps us warm. Or perhaps you’re a warm sleeper and prefer the silky night wear to the warmer attire - whatever your body type it’s important to listen. I like being comfortable and love an evening by the fireplace (fire oven in DK) in my slightly dorky, but very comfortable PJs. Can highly recommend !
9. Weighted blanket (tyngde dyne)
A weighted blanket can be a great support to sleep better - especially if suffering from anxiety. Wrapping around us as if being cuddled, it can help make us feel calm, held and supported, which helps our nervous system relax and dis-arm itself. This paves the way for better and deeper sleep. What I really love about this brand is how the website makes it easy to find the right fit, model and weight based on the questions asked before making a suggestion. Our body temperature, temperament, height and more makes a difference when it comes to finding the right thing, so its an important feature. Also be aware that it usually takes up to 14 days to get used to this kind of duvet. -Therefore, give it a chance and don’t expect it to be an instant fix. Another good thing in choosing this brand you have 30 days of trial period and can return it if it’s not working for you!
Since we spend so much of our time in bed, making it a nourishing environment, with non-toxic, soft and clean bedding is a true luxury. Of course there are heaps of wonderful bedding opportunities out there, but I like this brand because it stands for quality. It’s also important to remember that although we may clean our face every night, we still bring in dirt whenever we get into bed, so I always suggest washing our bedding once a week. Therefore, good bedding needs to be durable and high quality. Also love the colour of this one!
10. Wake up light
In the Nordics it gets so dark in the winter months, making it difficult to wake up and get started for the day. Although it would be more convenient to live our days in sync with the daylight, this would mean very short winter days, which just doesn’t match the lifestyle of modern day living. A thing I’ve found help me wake up feeling more rested (aside from a nourishing bed time routine) is having a light therapy lamp as an alarm clock. Slowly turning on little by little 30 minutes before the sound of the ocean wakes you up us a very supportive and a lot less brutal alternative to the alarm clocks of our phones. It also has the benefit that we can then gently escort our electronically devices out the bedroom, which helps our bedtime routine.
Being in our bodies is the antidote to anxiety and stress. It’s also the path to deeper self care, increased strength and flexibility, joy and health. Therefore wishing for a beautiful yoga mat and investing in online or in class sessions can be a lovely step to a healthier, happier you. Of course the mat in itself does nothing - although it may be pretty - but turning it into a sanctuary, a sacred space and a place for weekly or daily practise will help you transform your life. There are many great yoga mats and brands out there, but I like this one because they’re Danish, have beautiful, quality products and are always sweet and helpful.
GIVING BACK
Perhaps you feel like you have everything you need and would like to refrain from the gift race. I fully support this and find not buying or wishing for something just to do it, a beautiful thing. There is, however, also a path in the middle, that allows others to gift us something where we contribute to a greater cause. Here I just wanted to mention Dirt Charity and Land of Hope as potential charities to support. Dirt Charity is a beautiful and fairly young charity dedicated to restoring the soil of the earth as whilst raising the standards for garment production. Land of Hope is a lifesaving foundation dedicated to saving and supporting children who have been abused and outcast due to accusations of witchcraft in villages in Nigeria.
