Advent calendars count down to Christmas. But why not create a 12-month version that can turn self-care into a growth adventure?
Every year, around the beginning of December, advent calendars are hauled out and the days before Christmas counted down. Each day usually provides a treat behind the date tear on the board. But what if an advent calendar becomes a 12-month-long calendar of spoils? Try it for 2026.
Just like creating a dream board or a statement of intent for the year ahead, why not spend a few hours this festive season and create an advent calendar for personal self-care spoils throughout the year? Open it up, every month, and take some time for yourself.
Private practice social worker Carryn Hennessey said that as the pace of global, local and personal change continues to accelerate, taking time out to spoil yourself and heal for a minute is important. Esoteric therapist Annemarie Viviers of Heavenly Healing agreed, adding that an advent calendar for the whole year can be like creating an adventure for yourself.
January: Sing in the shower and book a head and shoulder massage
Start the year with your own bathroom stadium show. Viviers said that singing while warm water pours over you “lets the nervous system soften without you even realising you’re unwinding”.
Follow it up with a head-and-shoulder massage to help reset yourself after December.
February: Be your Valentine
Book a table for one at a really nice restaurant or coffee shop. Chill out, order whatever you like and, said Hennessey, do some people watching. Ignore your device a bit and make the time count.
Afterwards, a foot massage with a bit of reflexology will add to the spoils. “Feet tell the truth about stress,” Viviers said. “When they ease, the rest of you follows.”
March: Say no, and get a massage instead.
Hennessey said that it is really okay to say no to someone or something.
“A single no can feel like reclaiming your soul,” she said. “It allows you to stand up for yourself, no matter how silly it feels or how reticent you are to claim your own space.”
Then, reward yourself with a back and shoulder massage. Viviers said shoulders carry “the weight of responsibility people never speak about. A massage helps you let go”.
April: Go for walks without your device
Leave your phone behind and walk until your mind stops racing ahead of you and your hands stop reaching for your phone, said Hennessey.
“Do this a few times, and feel the difference. Breathe in some fresh air and take in your environment, and appreciate it. It does wonders for the spirit and your emotional state of being,” she said.
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May: Write a letter to your future self
Write the letter to yourself and date it for opening in mid-December 2026. Share with yourself your hopes and dreams for the balance of the year and how you are feeling right now, and how you would like to feel by the end of the year.
“It can be very therapeutic to write,” said Hennessey, “and just as insightful when you return to read it seven months later.”
A hand massage afterwards will ease the thought that went into the scribing. “Hands absorb tension faster than people notice,” said Viviers. “The massage will release it for you.”
June: A day just for you
Pick pleasure over productivity, guilt-free, for once. Take the day, said Hennessey.
“Do something that brings you joy, even if it means doing nothing at all.”
Follow it with a full-body massage and end the day lighter than you began it. “People wait for permission to rest,” Viviers said. “Your body never asked you to, but gift it and you will see the reward.”
July: Start something new, or just try it
Behind July’s advent calendar entry add something new to try out. Whether it is a pottery class, a cold-water dip in winter, or a dancing class. Whatever it is, said Hennessey, anything that sets you out of your comfort zone can do the trick.
A neck massage afterwards closes the loop said Viviers. “Our necks tend to stiffen whenever we do something unfamiliar, even if we enjoy it.”
August: Declutter before Spring
Unpack and rearrange, declutter your home, your kitchen, or a relationship. It’s a good time to take the first eight months of the year into review and reorganise.
“Clearing out helps distil thoughts and builds new pathways,” said Hennessey.
Pair it with a back massage to align your body with the cleansing. Viviers said the back is your support system, so when you lighten your life, it responds immediately.”
September: New habit, maybe?
A simple new wellness habit can make a world of difference. You spring cleaned last month, so now, start something new. Get into reading, drink more water, or gardening twice a week. Whatever it is, make it simple and stick to it, said Hennessey.
October: Dress up like you are the lead in your movie
If your life was a Hollywood movie, take a day and dress up to play the part. Be the lead actor in your life’s narrative and wear the clothes to match.
“Whether you are a sexy vixen, a superhero, or a Wall Street boiler room corporate lyncher. Just do it, and enjoy some real-life cosplay for an escape and a regroup,” said Viviers.
November: Do something bold
Giving is the greatest gift you can give yourself, without expecting anything in return. Hennessey said that we are all rewarded with a feel-good sense of self, anyway.
“Generosity is an emotional gain that few other acts can mimic,” she said. “And at the same time, you are helping someone else receive.”
Viviers said you can reward yourself with an aromatherapy massage or reflexology, or both, afterwards. She said scent anchors emotion and helps people release what they’re holding, while reflexology maps the whole body on your feet and stimulates balance.”
December: Dance in your kitchen like nobody is watching
Turn up your favourite tune, dress up or down, and go wild in your kitchen. The broomstick is your microphone, the rest, your stage. Do it like nobody’s watching and close your eyes for a minute. It’s an incredible feeling to air guitar for the crowd-invisible.
