We often associate the tail end of the year with warm and fuzzy feelings — but it can easily become busy and overwhelming. What would it look like if the festive season really was an opportunity to slow down, reconnect and share joy?
Read on to learn some of our favourite ways to nurture self-care, wellness and connection amid the holiday excitement.
Whether preparing for a Christmas celebration or a casual summer barbecue, cooking together can be an activity that’s equal parts bonding, productive, nourishing and delicious. As a shoulder-to-shoulder activity, time spent in the kitchen is a fantastic, low-pressure way of reconnecting (listening to Christmas carols is optional).
The best part is you can sit down, relax and enjoy your meal together at the end.
Making a foot soak is a simple way to sprinkle a bit of Christmas wellness among those you love. Combine:
Just like that, you’ve gifted wellness and a spa-like experience at home.
Explore spa package Christmas gifts at Peninsula Hot Springs
Carving out time to nurture self-care in a relaxing environment is a welcome change of pace at a bustling time of year — and doing so with a loved one can be even more enjoyable.
Instead of catching up for another Christmas drink, reconnecting at our wellness destination on the Mornington Peninsula will allow you to explore over 50 globally-inspired bathing rituals, including mineral hot springs, cold plunge pools, saunas and much more.
Of course, if you’d like to share a Christmas drink together, our Bath House bar and Spa Dreaming Centre dining room are fully licensed.
Discover Bath House bathing and other hot springs gifts
When things get busy, wellness rituals can go out the window. Buddying up with someone for your walk can be a great way to motivate yourself to get outside and move your body while stoking connection.
You could even take an ‘awe walk’, which is a walk focused on cultivating awe. This might involve witnessing a sunrise or sunset, ocean waves, towering trees, a waterfall, or simply noticing the beauty of flowers and birds. Research shows that experiencing awe has a profound effect on our wellbeing, and can deepen our sense of belonging in the world. Studies also suggest that positive experiences are intensified when ‘co-experienced’ with someone else.
At a time of year when material items might dominate our attention, it can be heartening and refreshing to shift our focus towards gratitude. This can involve writing down three things you’re grateful for at the start or end of the day, or sitting in a favourite spot among nature, hand on heart and bringing to mind things that inspire gratitude.
Practising gratitude can be a beautiful shared experience, too. Gather your loved ones and take some time to write down the things you’re grateful for on small pieces of paper (perhaps in Christmas-themed shapes). Then, use string to attach these shapes to a Christmas tree or to a piece of twine hung across the room. Ideally, the things you have written will be visible so you can revisit them daily.
To explore ways to treat your loved ones and yourself to the magic of self-care, wellness and connection at our Mornington Peninsula destination this season, visit our Christmas gifts page. Share the warmth this season — give a gift that connects.