The holiday season involves a lot of hustle and bustle, and it can cause you to forget about your own needs and wants during a sometimes gloomy or stressful time of year. The holidays get us thinking about family, friends, and significant others. However, you also need to be sure to take care of yourself. Here are some ways you can make sure you are taken care of and feeling good about yourself before the holiday season. While giving to others is meaningful, your mental health is so important as well.

Many people forget about their New Year’s resolution after a few months. The majority of people don’t keep or remember their New Year’s resolutions; in fact, the actual percentage is 80%. While it is not quite time to make a New Year’s resolution, you can improve your life at any time. In fact, you can start now, before the holidays even begin. Here are some ways to prioritize your own mental health and make yourself happy along with some treat-yourself mentality ideas before the busyness of the holiday season begins.

Visit Your Dental Office

While dental care is important year-round, making a visit before the holidays can give you a sense of relief before you begin to eat a number of hearty meals and yummy treats. Visiting the dentist can involve a simple check-up, but it can also include a teeth whitening. Whiter teeth will give you a sense of confidence as you see family and friends throughout the holidays, and surely a compliment or two won’t hurt. Those pearly whites will look radiant in family pictures, too.

If you are going out of town during the holiday season, a visit to the dentist is even more important. Dental pain is worse at any time, but trying to enjoy a vacation while dealing with it might actually make it feel even worse. Therefore, getting checked for any dental issues and receiving treatments before traveling will make your trip all the more pleasant. Along with your physical health, your mental health is so important as well, and caring for yourself during the holidays will allow you to feel your best.

Visit an Oral Surgeon

Are your wisdom teeth growing in? Have you been putting off the problems it may cause? Wisdom teeth removal before the holidays may be your best bet. Not only will any pain you may endure during the holidays vanish before celebrations begin, but you can enjoy your holiday meals even more knowing your teeth are healthy and taken care of.

Wisdom teeth can become impacted and can cause tooth or mouth pain as well as overcrowding or tooth decay. If you are starting to feel them growing in, getting them checked out sooner rather than later can truly make your holiday experiences more enjoyable. Dealing with tooth pain is not fun, so visiting your dentist for a recommendation for an oral surgeon may be a good idea. Food is an important and fun part of the holidays, so you do not want to miss out.

Visit Your Hair, Nail, and Body Care Experts

If you are someone who enjoys getting their hair done, whether it be a cut or a dye, booking an appointment with your hairdresser or stylist before the holidays is a great way to make a small (or big!) change that can have you feeling your best. Having a polished or completely new hairstyle or look is always something fun to get done. Your mental health is so important, so remember that your hair always grows back and go for it!

Getting your nails done is another fun and relaxing activity before the holiday season begins. This can mean a manicure, a pedicure, or both. With many different nail polish options as well as colors and designs, you can get creative and have a fun time decorating your own body. Whether you want purple gel polish on your toenails or yellow polka dots on your fingernails, something as small as this can give you a wave of confidence, which is great because mental health is so important. As you use your hands for daily tasks, maybe show off your new colors a little to coworkers or friends.

Perhaps you have been thinking about visiting an esthetician to get rid of unwanted hair for a long time. Well, here is your sign: do it. Treating yourself to a session will give you a sense of confidence, whether you obtain a bikini wax, an eyebrow wax or threading, a facial, or a skincare treatment. These expert treatments will have you leave feeling clean and polished.

A trip to the spa isn’t a bad idea either. In fact, it sounds like a pretty great one. Whether it be for a massage, a facial, or a full body treatment, spas are meant for relaxation, which is something that the holidays can sometimes take away from us mentally. It is always a good idea to find a way to unwind before the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and family get-togethers. While these different ideas can become expensive, remember that your mental health is so important and is something you must take care of first and foremost. Setting aside some money and time for yourself is worth it in the end.

Visit Your Favorite Jewelry Store

If you are a jewelry lover, perhaps your way of treating yourself is by buying a fun pair of earrings, a statement necklace, or a cute bracelet. A diamond is a girl’s best friend, right? While jewelry, especially diamond jewelry, is thought of as a gift to give to others, buying something for yourself is just as fun. This could mean shopping for jewelry at a local antique store, the mall, or a small online boutique. Since mental health is so important, something as small as a piece of jewelry can give you some much-needed confidence, leaving you feeling great.

Visit a Thrift Shop

With the holidays often comes some chillier weather. With spending more time indoors, perhaps it is time to spice up or change your bedroom! This can start with reorganizing, moving furniture around, and maybe even buying some new decorations. Maybe you could use a whole new set of furniture or a new carpet for your bedroom. While finding the best prices on carpet as well as the best prices on new furniture can be a bit tricky and may become expensive, you can also choose to buy used. Thrift stores offer less expensive options, and there might be some cute, vintage items out there that you wouldn’t find in a normal home goods store.

Along with redecorating comes rejuvenation. Perhaps it is time to update your wardrobe. Thrift stores are a great option for fashion as well, and they often sell a variety of clothing. You could even find designer clothing pieces for less than $10. Since clothes shopping often makes you think of spending a boatload of money, thrifting may be a great alternative. This way, you can buy more, spend less, and have some new pieces of clothing that make you feel good! People often equate shopping with some form of therapy because it makes you feel good. Before you start shopping for holiday gifts for others, consider shopping for yourself first. It can give you the boost of confidence you may need, and since mental health is so important, keeping your spirits up is essential

Visit Your Favorite Online Shop

Along with shopping in-store comes online shopping. While slightly financially dangerous, online shopping can offer options some in-store places can’t. More and more custom shops have become popular across different social media platforms. While they allow you to buy customized clothing, art, jewelry, and more for a family member or friend as a great gift, you can also buy something for yourself! Embroidered apparel has become a popular trend. This could mean getting your name, lyrics, a quote, or a picture embroidered on a sweatshirt, hat, or sweater. Really, anything you’d like. Anything you like can most likely be made for you. Why not treat yourself to something you know you’ll love?

Picking up a new hobby also goes along with the idea of spending some time alone (perhaps in new clothes and in a newly furnished room!). One considerable time spender could be collecting hobby stamps and supplies, rare coins, rocks and minerals, or crystals. Some of these supplies and collectibles can be bought online from the comfort of your home or in craft supply stores, while some will be more of a challenge to find. Since mental health is so important, starting a meaningful collection of something you are passionate about during the often stressful holiday season can be helpful and a great way to take your mind off of anything unpleasant.

Another hobby to try out is baking. Spending time in the kitchen can be very peaceful, and making some holiday recipes sounds pretty fun too, particularly desserts. Whether you enjoy pumpkin pie, apple crisp, snickerdoodles, eggnog, or gingerbread cookies, there is surely something you can whip up for yourself. Many of these yummy foods are enjoyable to many, so don’t be afraid to treat yourself to your favorite one.

Visit Your Favorite Restaurant or Café

Whether it be with friends, family, or a significant other, going out to eat has always been a fun thing to do. Restaurants provide atmospheres that allow us to both enjoy yummy food and enjoy the company of people we love. While going out to eat can rack up a bill, it doesn’t always have to be like that. In fact, visiting a café can be relatively inexpensive. While depending on what your favorite restaurants and cafés are, surely you can find some fun places to visit either by yourself or with company. Some people are brave enough to go eat alone. While it sounds scary, perhaps giving it a try wouldn’t be so bad after all. Sometimes time alone can be great, and since mental health is so important, perhaps getting used to doing more things alone wouldn’t be a terrible idea.

Finding a café walking distance from where you live is even better because spending time outside is also important. Going for a walk, even when it’s chilly out, means breathing a breath of fresh air, which can feel amazing. Getting a cup of coffee and a pastry before heading to work or school down the street or down the block is a great way to get outside, to get some physical activity, and to get some time to ourselves and think. In these ways, outside activity is good for us both physically and mentally. Adults should try to spread 150 minutes of physical activity out throughout each week in order to stay healthy. By walking to a restaurant or café, you’re getting in your steps and minutes.

Visit Your Pet’s Veterinarian

Now, no, visiting the vet is not something that will directly benefit you. However, your pet most likely means a lot to you, so obtaining veterinary care and making sure your pet is healthy and ready for the busy holiday season alongside you is important. Not only will this give you peace of mind, but any issues that may arise can be taken care of before you become busy.

If you are bringing your pet on a holiday trip or vacation, then it is all the more important to get your pet into the vet as soon as possible. Mental health is so important for humans, but this also stands true with animal friends as well; you certainly don’t want your pet to be uncomfortable or sick while on vacation. Getting blood tests and making sure your pet’s vaccinations are up to date are vital to your pet’s health during a trip.

Thankfully, mental health is being talked about more and more. With the chilly weather and holiday season upon us, it is important to take time for yourself, clear your head, and enjoy things for your own happiness. Whether it be visiting the dentist, getting a pedicure or massage, dying your hair, thrift shopping, or eating at a fun restaurant, be sure to find fun things to keep yourself occupied in the colder winter months. Treat yourself!