Self-Care During the Holidays

The holiday season is full of hustle and bustle, from spending time with family and friends to shopping, decorating, traveling. All of these activities can cause emotions to range from comfortable emotions to uncomfortable emotions. Here are some suggestions on self-care activities you can implement this holiday season:

• BE INTENTIONAL: Identify what is most important to you during the holiday season and prioritize that. What do you want to do? Who do you want to spend time with? How do you want to feel? Being clear on your priorities will help you have a meaningful holiday experience by staying focused on what matters most to you.

  
  

• SCHEDULE TIME FOR SELF-CARE ACTIVITIES: Schedule self-care activities (exercise, meditation, a hobby you enjoy) at the same time each day so they become routine or set a timer or alarm to remind yourself.

  
  

• MAKE A BUDGET & HONOR IT: Be honest with yourself about what you can afford to spend on your loved ones, set the budget and stick to it. Going into debt during the holidays creates more stress. You can find ways to be thoughtful in your gift giving and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Get creative in your gift giving.

  
  

• SAY NO: Saying yes to everything during the holidays creates stress. Give yourself permission to say “NO” to the things that don’t line up with what you want for the holidays. You are responsible for taking care of yourself, if the activity is going to cause you undue stress or drain you, politely decline.

  
  

• PRACTICE GRATITUDE: Express appreciation and gratitude for the people and events in your life. This can be done by writing in a journal or by letting others know the gratitude you feel.

  
  

• ENGAGE IN DEEP BREATHING OR OTHER RELAXATION SKILLS: Intentionally set time aside to focus on your breath. Slowly inhaling through your nose filling your belly then exhaling through your mouth letting all the air out of your lungs.3-5 rounds of this will allow you to reach a state of calm. Other relaxation skills can include listening to soothing music or engaging in an imagery exercise.

  
  

• CHECK IN ON YOUR FEELINGS: Take time to check in with yourself oh how you are feeling. Remove the judgment regarding your feelings. The feelings are just there to provide information. Acknowledge how you are feeling and be curious about the feelings. If you are experiencing uncomfortable emotions (i.e. negative emotions) be open to understanding where they may be coming from. The uncomfortable emotions may come from having unrealistic expectations, or the goals you set for yourself are unrealistic, or you are feeling overwhelmed. Readjust your goals, make them specific and attainable.

  
  

• MONITOR YOUR STRESS LEVEL: Pay attention to the situation you are in when feeling stressed. Is it around certain people? Or engaging in specific activities? Have a list of the activities you can engage in to relax for a few minutes. Perhaps this is taking a walk, doing a few minutes of yoga, or watching a favorite TV show or movie.

  
  

• LET GO OF THE PERFECTION MENTALITY: The holidays can be memorable and meaningful without being perfect. Focusing on making the holidays perfect will cause lots of undue stress and overwhelm. Reframe the thought from having a “perfect holiday” to having a “good holiday” instead.

  
  

Stress may be a given during this time of year, but it doesn’t have to take over this holiday season. Put a plan in place to take care of your emotional health. If you want to take it a step further, find a therapist to help you create your plan.