12 Ideas for a Festive Holiday Self-Care Night

The holidays are a perfect time to take a step back from the busyness of life and just relax. Having a holiday self-care night is the perfect way to get yourself in that festive, relaxed, and present mindset.

During the holiday season, it can be really easy to get wrapped up in the busyness of life. We are running around doing holiday shopping, wrapping up work for the year, going to social gatherings, and we never really get a chance to just stop and take it in.

These holiday self-care night ideas are meant to help you both relax and get in the festive holiday spirit.

These 12 ideas for a festive and cozy self-care night during the holidays can be spread out through many nights or all grouped together in one massive holiday self-care day. That is fully up to you!

But, regardless of how you choose to schedule these activities, these festive activities are sure to get you in the right mindset for fun and relaxation this holiday season.

12 Festive Holiday Self-Care Night Ideas

‘Tis the season (for festive self-care). Let’s jump in!

1. Get Cozy By the Fire

Nothing screams holiday season to me quite like a crackling fire in the fireplace. There is something so comforting about the subtle orange glow, the radiating warmth, and the light cracking noise of a fireplace fire.

Take a moment this holiday season to just relax in front of the fire.

Sometimes self-care really is that simple. It doesn’t require a ton of effort, any money, or some big extravagant event. It’s really just about sitting, relaxing, refreshing, and being present in the moment.

2. Read a Holiday Book

This is something that I put on my December Bucket List every year. I absolutely love holiday-themed books, but sometimes I don’t give myself the time to read them if I don’t make it a set goal.

Reading a festive book is the perfect form of holiday self-care. That is going to be a big priority for me this year: allowing myself the time to slow down and just enjoy some holiday reading.

As far as holiday books go, I can’t recommend Debbie Macomber books enough. It feels like you are reading a holiday Hallmark movie (which I LOVE!).

That said, my FAVORITE holiday book I have ever read is Let It Snow. This book is actually 3 different stories from different authors (one being John Green, who I love!). The stories in this book are super festive, holiday-themed, and PERFECT for a holiday self-care night.

I just found out that this book was actually turned into a Netflix movie in 2019, which I am SUPER excited about. That will definitely be happening on one of my own self-care nights this holiday season. 😉

3. Drive and Look at Christmas Lights

This was one of my favorite things to do during the holidays as a kid… and I STILL love doing it to this day. There’s something so comforting about the dark of the night contrasted with the light of festive holiday lights strung from the houses.

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I love to grab a warm, cozy drink and turn on some classic Christmas music on these drives. Driving is a form of self-care for me at any time of the year, but it feels extra special and blissful during the holidays.

A Christmas light drive is the perfect serene, festive holiday self-care night activity.

4. Do a Holiday Puzzle

As a kid, puzzles were always one of my very favorite activities. They calmed me down and helped me relax. To this day, I feel the same way.

Puzzles have so many incredible mental benefits. For me, one of the main benefits I feel is solitude. Puzzles grant me the ability to unwind, taking my brain to an entirely peaceful place (not bombarded by to-dos and tasks!).

I’m sure you can see why I think puzzles are great for self-care, but holiday puzzles add an entirely new element. Doing a festive, holiday puzzle while cozied up and in the holiday spirit is one of my FAVORITE winter self-care night activities.

Some things to add to your self-care puzzle night:

• hot chocolate (or any warm beverage)
• a holiday movie
• warm candles
• cozy blankets
• festive pajamas
• holiday treats

{RELATED POST: 15 Ways to Romanticize Your Everyday Life}

The simple act of doing a puzzle can feel pretty special if you set yourself up for a great night!

5. Wear Christmas Pajamas

Some things are so simple, yet so comforting.

Holiday pajamas are one of those things.

Holiday pajamas always feel so festive and cozy. I’m not sure if it’s the nostalgia from childhood or just the magic of the holiday feeling, but if I am going to have a holiday self-care night, I NEED my holiday PJs.

The traditional red buffalo check plaid PJs are my personal favorite. I especially love these ones from Target because there is a pair for the whole family. Super cute!

My family got matching Rae Dunn Christmas PJs last year and I loved it. I think we’ll be doing the buffalo check plaid this year!

6. Make a Cozy Winter Dinner

Winter dinners are my favorite. I love the cozy meal options that come around the holiday times. Soups, casseroles, stews, etc… I live for them!

{REALTED POST: 180+ Simple Dinner Ideas (+Printable Booklet)}

A good meal can be an important part of a good holiday self-care night. Not only is it delicious to eat, but the actual process of making the meal can be good for your mental health.

Cooking has many elements that are beneficial for your mind. Patience, focus, creativity, self-esteem, and mindfulness. Cooking is one of the things that has helped me in times of mental health struggle.

Making a cozy, delicious, home-cooked winter dinner is an excellent option to kick off your holiday self-care night.

7. Attend a Holiday Event

Self-care isn’t all facemasks and baths at home… there are some really valuable opportunities for self-care outside of the home too, especially around the holidays.

Holiday events can be anything festive and enjoyable to you.

Some of my personal favorite holiday self-care events are:

• wandering a festive mall and looking at the lights and decorations
• going to a Christmas light festival (drive-thru ones are my favorite)
• attending a holiday parade
• shopping small, local stores with cute holiday decorations
• visiting a holiday festival

These holiday events are all really special because they are so unique to this time of year. Getting out and experiencing these moments is part of what makes the holiday season so special!

8. Decorate Your Home for the Holidays

We know that our environment directly affects our mental health. With that, we’ve also learned that holiday decorations can trigger positive mental reactions.

Decorating your home for the holidays can remind you of positive childhood memories, give you something exciting to look forward to, change up your environment, or give you a healthy distraction from anything that may be weighing you down.

All of these are great reasons why decorating may be a key part of your holiday self-care routine.

Get festive and in the spirit of the holidays by having a holiday self-care night dedicated to decorating. Play some holiday music, dress comfy, and have fun with it!

9. Have a Gift Wrapping Night

Some people really dislike holiday gift wrapping… I love it!

If you make the mental shift from viewing it as a “chore” to viewing it as a fun holiday activity, I think it can become really enjoyable.

Holiday gift wrapping is something I look forward to now that I make a whole night out of it. I really romanticize the process and it makes it so much fun!

For example, I turn on a festive holiday movie (one that I’ve seen before since I don’t give it 100% of my attention), make a cozy drink, put on some PJs, and sit by the Christmas tree to wrap gifts!

Wrapping gifts can shift from a to-do to a full-blown holiday self-care activity if you just think of it from a different perspective.

You can even include a loved one for some extra fun (as long as you’re not wrapping their gifts 😉 )!

10. Make Hot Cocoa and Sit Outside

If you’re like me and you live in a cold climate during the holidays, you may not think of sitting outside as a possible self-care activity this time of year… but it totally can be!

One of my favorite things to do around the holidays is to make myself a peppermint hot chocolate, grab my favorite big cozy blanket, and sit outside.

When I do this, I always make sure I’m super present and in the moment. This means no phones, no TV, no distractions.

As I sit outside, I reflect a bit and I think about all the amazing things I have to be grateful for. This time of year is about blessings and love… so let’s foster those feelings as part of a holiday self-care night.

11. Do Some Holiday Baking

Much like cooking, baking can be a great act of self-care. The benefits of baking are great at any time of year, but holiday baking is even more special (and delicious!).

I love the idea of including baking in your holiday self-care night because, once you bake, you can enjoy your treats as another aspect of self-care. It’s a win/win all around!

If you need some holiday baking ideas, this holiday cookbook is filled with amazing recipes. You can also find great recipes online for free! (Taste of Home is my go-to for baked goods!)

12. Have a Holiday Movie Night

Movie nights are the perfect self-care activity at any time. To make this festive, you can spice up your regular movie night with some holiday touches.

To holiday-ify your movie night:

• Watch a holiday movie
• Wear Christmas pajamas
• Get a cozy blanket
• Light a fire in the fireplace
• Sit by the tree
• Enjoy Christmas cookies (or another holiday treat from the recipes above)
• Sip a warm drink

Those are my key elements of a holiday self-care night movie.

This is probably the most common form of holiday self-care, but it doesn’t make it any less special. Holiday movie nights are one of the most special parts of the holiday season. They feel so nostalgic and magical.

Be sure you’re taking advantage of this time of year by incorporating holiday movies into your self-care.

How do YOU practice self-care around the holidays?

These are just 12 ideas for a holiday self-care night. There are tons more ways you can practice festive self-care.

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Holiday self-care doesn’t have to be extravagant, time-consuming, or expensive. Even something as simple as taking a day off work can count as self-care.

What matters most is that you are practicing SOME form of self-care during the holidays. Taking time to fulfill your needs, rest, and enjoy the holidays is important.

This time only comes once a year. Enjoy it!