The Christmas Box Trend Gets a Women’s Health Twist

The internet is currently obsessed with the “Christmas Box Photo Trend” — so naturally, we had to make a Perky version. But instead of matching pajamas, our boxes are filled with something a little more meaningful: gentle reminders to care for your body, your breasts, and your mental health this season.

The holidays can be beautiful, magical, and heartwarming. They can also be stressful, emotional, and downright overwhelming, especially if you’re navigating breast cancer, survivorship, or ongoing health anxieties.

So here’s our Holiday Health Survival Guide… wrapped in cardboard boxes, of course.

1. Check your chest

Your monthly breast self-exam is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. It’s a simple habit that can help you catch changes early and stay connected to your body’s health.

Even if you’ve had a mastectomy — with or without reconstruction — it’s still important to perform monthly self-exams.

Click here for our full step-by-step guide to the breast self-exam, including where to check your breasts and what to look for.

2. Be sure to check your nipples, too

Nipple changes can be early signs of concern.

Quick reminder:
- Look
- Lift
- Check
- Notice what’s normal for you

Click here for a video showing what nipple changes to look out for.

3. Schedule your mammogram and well-woman visit

If it’s been on your “I’ll do it eventually” list… now is the perfect time. Your future self will thank you.

Regular mammograms are essential because they can detect breast cancer early—often before you can feel anything—giving you the best chance for effective treatment.

Your annual well-woman exam is a crucial check-in for your overall health, helping you stay on top of preventive care, screenings, and conversations about changes in your body.

4. Call your breasties

Give the people you love a gentle nudge.

Call your friends and family and remind them to schedule their mammograms and well-woman exams, because caring for each other is powerful prevention.

5. Lean into your emotional support animal

Pets don’t care if your holiday to-do list is unfinished — they just care that you’re there.

Science shows interacting with animals can reduce anxiety and increase calmness.

If you have a pet, lean into them when you need their support.

6. Reach out for community support

Finding your community is one of the best things you can do for your health—connection, understanding, and shared experience can transform healing in ways medicine alone can’t.

The Breasties provide powerful, judgment-free community support for anyone affected by breast and gynecologic cancers, creating a space where no one has to navigate survivorship alone.

Whether it’s The Breasties or another community, support is everything, especially around the holidays.

7. Journal your thoughts

Holiday emotions can pile up quickly and journaling is a low-pressure way to release and reset.

Journaling your feelings and practicing daily gratitude can create space to process emotions, reduce stress, and strengthen your mental well-being.

For survivors, these practices can offer grounding, clarity, and a deeper sense of control during a season of life that often feels anything but predictable.

8. Get outside

Getting outside for even a few minutes a day can calm your nervous system, boost your mood, and help reset your mind when everything feels heavy or chaotic.

Fresh air, sunlight, and movement—no matter how small—can lower stress hormones and increase mental clarity.

For survivors, those brief moments in nature can become a grounding ritual, a way to reconnect with your body, breathe deeper, and feel just a little more like yourself again.

9. Shine bright (seriously)

This holiday season, you can shine bright by honoring your body, protecting your peace, setting boundaries that support your healing, and celebrating the resilience that carried you through every hard moment this year—whether you’re sparkling on the outside or simply glowing quietly from within.

The holidays can feel like a lot — but your health doesn’t have to.
Share these reminders with someone who might need them, save them for yourself, and take a moment to breathe.

From the Perky Team:
We’re wrapping up this year with gratitude for you.