All the festivities of Christmas, New Year as well as a stressful exam season can take a toll on your body, skin and mind. With January coming to a close and semester two starting, this is the perfect opportunity to take the time to look after yourself and make sure you are the best ‘you’ you can be going into the new year.

1. Recover Your Body

Hopefully all the Christmas chocolates have been eaten by now, and your kitchen cupboards and fridge are ready to be re-stocked ready for the new term. Take this opportunity to fill them with only food that will fuel your body in a positive and healthy way. Fresh fruit and vegetables will fill your body with nutrients, making you feel more awake and alert as well as cleansing your body from all the alcohol and Christmas food you’ve been consuming for the last 2 months. (Hint: Oranges are an incredible source of vitamin C, protecting you from the dreaded winter cold)

If your new year’s resolution is to get fit (and you haven’t already started this) take February 1^st as a new ‘new year’ and get active! If you like working out in a gym, get your money’s worth and go as often as possible. You don’t have to feel like you’re dying every time you get off the treadmill, even lifting small weights or just power walking can get your heart rate up and get the endorphins flowing. This can help to improve your mental health too, especially after such a stressful exam period. If you aren’t a gym bunny, there are hundreds of ways to get your body moving. You can start walking to uni (and save your bus fare!) or you could do something as simple as taking the stairs up to the top floor of your building and avoid the crowded lifts. There is no wrong way to get active, any small change will be beneficial to your body in the long term.

2. Recover Your Skin

The food and alcohol over Christmas as well as the cold weather can ruin your skin. I find my skin gets terribly dehydrated and dry. If your skin is similar, the answer is to moisturise whenever you can. Preferably multiple times a day! If you’re short of time the ‘Spritz me Quick’ moisture mist from Soap and Glory is your saviour. You can quickly spritz this all over your body and the Shea butter, coconut and almond gives a lightweight moisture boost that will leave you with a natural glow. This also smells insane because it is in the original pink scent.

If you have more time in the evening, the ‘Speed Plump’ overnight moisture mousse is another super easy way to look after your skin. It’s designed to combat dry and dull skin by re-hydrating it overnight, so you wake up with plump, glowing skin that will stay hydrated for up to 8 hours afterwards. 

3. Recover Your Mind

As well as exercise, there are plenty of other ways to make sure your mind is in the best place possible. This depends on the individual, for some meditation or yoga is a way to cleanse the mind, but for others this might not be suitable. I prefer to take some time to myself and snuggle up in bed with my favourite film and a million blankets (usually with a tub of Ben and Jerry’s) and spend an evening just chilling out and forgetting any worries I might have. Enjoy these first few weeks of semester 2, before the hard work starts, to rest and recuperate and take time to look after yourself.

Another way to improve your own happiness is by spreading happiness to those around you. This could be as simple as cleaning your flat kitchen, buying some treats in or baking for your housemates or even by donating some of your leftover Christmas money to charity. Not only will this make you feel happier by doing a good deed, it could also make the day of someone less fortunate than yourself.

A charity that I feel strongly needs support is the Young Women’s Trust. The YMT work with young women who are struggling to live or are at risk of living in poverty. The charity helps by providing free employment advice including assisting with job applications and CV’s as well as providing a coaching service that aims to make these young women feel confident and ready for work. The majority of those reading my blog are women of a similar age to those helped by the Young Women’s Trust, which is why both myself and Soap and Glory have chosen to focus on this charity. I would love it if even one person got involved or donated to the charity. If you would like to find out more about the YMT, the link to their website is: https://www.youngwomenstrust.org/ and you can donate here: https://www.youngwomenstrust.org/get_involved/donate 

As always thank you for reading and thank you to Soap and Glory for supporting this post,

Lots of Love, Emma x