The holiday season can be a lot of fun – but it can also be very stressful. We often find ourselves with a lot of extra obligations, from decorating to cooking to buying gifts. There may be quite a few parties and other gatherings. You may be spending time with family, which can be challenging for some. (If that’s you, you may want to consider setting some boundaries.) Even if you enjoy the holidays, there can still be a lot of stress involved.
It’s always important to prioritize your self-care. You can’t give to others when you’re running on empty yourself – and you can’t expect to be healthy when you’re constantly in a state of high stress. It’s always crucial to ensure that you’re making self-care a main priority in your life.
During the holidays, with all of the added stress of the season, it’s even more important to prioritize self-care. But at the same time, with the extra obligations you find yourself with, many people find it harder to make time for self-care around this time of year.
So how can you prioritize self-care around the holidays? Here are a few tips:
Say no more often. We often find ourselves with a huge to-do list around the holidays. Maybe some of the things on that list are important to you, or are things that you truly enjoy. But there may be others that you really don’t want to do, but you feel like you should. Give yourself permission to let go of some of those things. For example, maybe you don’t enjoy putting up holiday decorations. Don’t force yourself to do it – either you can ask your family if they’d like to put up the decorations, or you can just skip them. It’s more important to give yourself time for the things that really matter to you.
Take breaks. In the midst of the holiday craziness, make sure that you’re taking some time for yourself. If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a walk, meditate for a few minutes, or simply go outside and breathe deeply. Try to build in multiple breaks throughout each day, so you don’t find yourself running on empty by the evening.
Get enough sleep. Sleep is absolutely crucial for your mental (and physical) health. In fact, it’s an often overlooked factor in people’s well-being. Over the holidays, you may be tempted to stay up late in order to get something done – maybe you’re trying to get presents wrapped, or get some cookies baked. Whatever it is that you’re doing, it’s less important than sleep. Make your bedtime a nonnegotiable – nothing is important enough to miss sleep over.
Give yourself a gift. At this time of year, many of us are purchasing gifts for our loved ones. Why not give yourself something, too? It can be something physical if you’d like, but it’s even better if you give yourself a relaxing experience. Maybe you’d like to get a massage, go to a movie, or get a manicure. Put yourself on your gift list – you’re worth it!
If you’d like some extra support in developing a consistent self-care plan, this is something that I discuss extensively inside Mind Gut Skin Academy. It’s such an important part of any health and wellness plan. Our members also support one another in developing a self-care plan that will actually work for their lives, and in staying consistent with that even when it’s challenging. If you’d like to learn more or get on the waitlist to join the brand-new version of the program (which is launching soon!), head over here.
I’m also available for one-on-one coaching, and I’d be happy to help you with any challenges you’re encountering around your self-care plan. Please reach out to me here if you’d like to explore this option.