Resilience is the ability to bounce back from OR NOT TIP OVER INTO physical, mental, OR emotional stress on the mind-body-skin SYSTEM. Here’s eight tips from Dr Tara Swart on how to keep your resilience up, particularly over the festive period.

Sleep Well: Prioritise 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep nightly. The blue light from screens can disrupt melatonin production, making it harder to sleep, so be sure to tuck these away AN HOUR BEFORE BED and disconnect for restful slumber.

Eat Mindfully: Consume a diet rich in antioxidants, INCLUDING A VARIETY OF colorful fruits, and vegetables to nourish your skin from within. Incorporate Ayurvedic superfoods and ingredients like amla, ghee and turmeric. Turmeric contains curcumin, which has been shown to reduce pigmentation and inflammation. Remember to include foods that contain omega- 3 fatty acids for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Stay Hydrated: Hydrated skin is healthy skin. Drink half a liter of water for every 15 KG of your body weight per day. Be sure to add in extra water to make up for caffeine and alcohol intake.

Keep Active: Exercise has an abundance of benefits for our physical and mental health, ESPECIALLY IF YOU CAN GET OUT INTO NATURE.

Practice Mindfulness: For 20 minutes every day, do something which falls under the mindfulness umbrella. This could be anything from spending time in nature, MEDITATION, to practicing YOGA OR Face Yoga Fitness.

Live Purposefully: Maintain strong social connections and engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Strong social networks and a positive outlook can contribute to emotional well-being, which reflects positively on your skin.

Consider a Digital Detox: The festive period is a great time to switch off. Try one or two days free from digital devices over the week to allow yourself to fully live in the moment.

Accountability: Agree with family and friends that although you’re going to go out and have a good time, you’ll also hold each other accountable. This means having days in between where you try not to overindulge and continue to put all the above into practice.