Self-Care Over the Holiday Period: Tips from Team Karabena

However you choose to mark the holiday period, it is a wonderful opportunity to pause, reflect on the year that’s been, embrace the festive season, and rejuvenate for the year to come.

Self-care is a priority for us at the Karabena Group. It is central to our work, as evidenced in our four-day work week policy. Self-care practices ensure we are always at our best for ourselves, our colleagues, our community, and the loved ones in our lives.

We’ll be taking some time over the next couple of weeks to fill up our cups. Our team members have shared their tips for practising self-care and what they’ll be getting up to over the break. From the practical to the philosophical, our team has some top tips for making the most of the end to 2024, and springboard into 2025.

We wish all in the Karabena community a safe and restful break.

Enjoy!

Kerry Arabena

What is your tip for practising self-care?
Gardening, setting goals for 2025, taking time to be in nature, and nourishing the relationships that often get left behind due to work and other commitments.

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
My idea of a good holiday is getting bedsores and eye strain from lying around reading books. I will be visiting children and grandchildren and inviting myself to anyone’s house that has a pool! I will also be going through my garage and sorting out what I want and need, and taking the furbabies on a couple of road trips where and when possible. I do love taking the dogs to the beach - hilarious antics in the water!! I know when I am on holidays - my claw-like grip on my phone relaxes and I actually end up going out without it.

Kim Reid

What is your tip for practising self-care?
Put the laptop away, put the phone down, focus in on appreciating the little things and people around you

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
I will be switching off and spending time with my family, enjoying the beach, starting a book and enjoying all the fun activities to do with my son.

Jide Onademuren

What is your tip for practising self-care?
Focus less on things beyond my control.

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
I plan to spend time enjoying nature, thinking about the power behind it, watching spy and detective movies and shows, reading spiritual books, and spending quality time with my family.

Kate Kloeber

What is your tip for practising self-care?
Block out time for yourself. This time of year can be very hectic and it can be easy to get caught up on all the things to get done and places to be. Making some time to for yourself to slow down and reset.

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
Being outside as much as possible (and when Melbourne weather permits), gardening, beach trips, playgrounds, running and walks. Mostly with the family enjoying the summer and occasionally by myself to reset.

Lauren Penny

What is your tip for practising self-care?
Spend time with people who fill your cup and relax outside in nature as much as possible.

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
I am looking forward to spending lots of quality time with my family, particularly my 3 sons (including two fur children). I will be getting as many ocean swims in as I can!

Camille Kay Gonzal

What is your tip for practising self-care?
Life is temporary, and everything we have is also temporary. So, we must live in the moment and enjoy the things we want to enjoy. Don’t pressure yourself to the extent that you become stressed. My self-care is to not let myself get stressed over temporary things because, at the end of the day, we are temporary.

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
This holiday, I plan to visit my family and shower my nieces with Christmas gifts. I also look forward to bonding with my sisters and brother and sharing non-stop stories about our lives. Our home will be filled with laughter.

Gwen Garnier

What is your tip for practising self-care?
Reading. Watch YouTube video/s while cooking. Gym or go for a walk. A cup of tea/coffee.

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
I plan to continue watching YouTube videos. I will be looking after my housemate’s dog so afternoon walks are a must. Listening to music - festive songs. Watch Christmas shows and have snacks.

David Reid

What is your tip for practising self-care?
Go easy on yourself. There are always competing pressures over the holiday period (just as there are in everyday life), and you can’t do it all. Give yourself grace, and give yourself rest.

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
I will let the work laptop’s battery drain to zero and I won’t be recharging it until the new year. Instead, I’ll be charging my battery in by reading a few new books I’ve recently bought (George Saunders’ Tenth of December is on top of my pile), catching up on films I haven’t had time to watch yet (e.g. Dune 2), getting outdoors (looking forward to a family trip to Bright on Dhuduroa, Taungurung, Waywurru, Gunaikurnai, and Jaithmathang Country, and most importantly spending quality time with my family as we take a pause from our frenetic schedules.

Tess McArthur-Dowty

What is your tip for practising self-care?
Giving myself time and space to just do what makes me feel good - whether that’s reading a book, watching a cosy movie, or enjoying a cup of tea.

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
I like to balance the festive period out by making sure to allow myself time to recover from big social events with quieter days. I love to unwind by watching whatever silly Christmas movies are new on Netflix, and of course by eating lots of delicious food! Just after Christmas I am going travelling, which I always find very rejuvenating.

Jay (Peter Imboy)

What is your tip for practising self-care?
I’ve been into endurance sports lately like, road running, cycling, trail running, and mountain hiking.

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
Whenever I have the time and money, I go hiking and trail running, I also volunteer in events as marshal and by 2025, I plan to summit Philippines’ top 5 peaks

Sharon Pittaway

What is your tip for practising self-care?
Make it a priority and don’t (ever) feel guilty about self-care

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
I will be spending as much time as possible in the pool with some of my grandchildren and then heading to Lutruwita/Tasmania to spend more time with more grandchildren, including taking updated portraits of them all. I love the feeling of my hands unclenching as I wander through the Tasmanian bush, so am looking forward to that too. I’ll read whenever I get the chance - currently reading Brave New World so will continue working through that - and then look for something lighter.

Derek Villaceran

What is your tip for practising self care?
Going for a swim and doing some exercise!

How will you be practising self-care over the break?
In between all the hustle and bustle of the holiday period and seeing families and friends, I’ll be making sure to take some time for myself to go for a swim at my local pool and to work out! It’s important to look after your body as this helps also look after your mind. Likewise, I want to look after myself now, so that I can continue to live my life to the fullest.