Note: This post is part of a 5 part series titled Your Holiday Survival Guide. At the end of this article, you’ll be directed to the next 4 articles.
Surviving the holidays can be tough. You can get crazy busy. However, there’s one thing you must keep in mind: YOU are important.
Your health is important.
Without you, all of the people who depend on you would be out of luck.
So during the holiday season, it’s important that you don’t take shortcuts when it comes to your wellness! I’m the biggest cheerleaders for my ladies in community so they take time… we even have a day when we plan our self-care routine!
Self-care or taking care of you doesn’t make you are selfish, it means that you’re making sure that you’re able to give your best to everyone else.
Self-care is essential for surviving the holidays, and by centering that self-care around good healthy habits you’re making choices that will not only help you to feel great now, but that will help you to feel great for the long run.
Surviving the Holidays: Essential Tips and Advice
What does great self-care during the holiday season look like? It looks like this:
Time & Self Care
Giving time to yourself is the most powerful form of self-care that you can offer. That means time to prepare healthy meals, time to plan them, time to exercise, time to relax and time to get enough sleep. Those few minutes spent making your lunches ahead for the week are a form of self-care. Or the time that you spend stopping at the grocery store on the way home from work to get fresh ingredients for dinner. And of course getting to bed early to get enough sleep to power you through your day.
It’s easy to make unhealthy choices when you’re in a huge hurry, so allowing yourself the freedom to have time to take care of the things that you need to for your health is important. You’re allowed to have time for your health, to do the things that are needed to support it.
Treats & Self Care
Treat yourself to things that make you feel great during the holidays. This might be something as simple as a movie or as extravagant as a day at the spa. Treating yourself with food isn’t out of the realm of possibility either – make it a conscious choice. Not a victim choice. Chose to make homebake cookies instead of store bought.
The point is to do something for yourself while you’re in the fray of doing things for other people. That means saving some treats that are just for you, no sharing allowed.
Exercise & Self Care
Whether it’s a yoga class or a weight session at the gym, exercise is one of the most basic forms of self-care. You’re quite literally spending time with you that’s for your body. During the holiday season it’s quite tempting to give up your exercise routine in favor of the myriad other things that there are to do, but when you realize that this really is “me” time, it can make it a lot easier to get up and get it done.
Take solace in your workouts and how much stronger and more fit they make you feel. This time of year is also a great time to begin exercising, as waiting until the new year to begin generally means you’re busted by February. Let a love of you drive your workouts!
Generosity & Self Care
One of the hallmarks of the holiday season is the notion that we should give to others rather than to receive from them. You’re not taking from others by giving to you! In fact, when you nurture your own well-being, you’re actually creating a much bigger well of energy and effort to be able to give to others. Being generous to yourself is absolutely a legitimate way to celebrate the season. It’s beautiful!
Before you can love anyone else, you’ve got to love yourself. Before you can teach your kids good holiday habits you have to first lead by example.
Make an effort to take care of you in healthy ways this holiday season, and you’ll find that people around you take notice and appreciate how much happier and healthier you are – remember that they want you to be happy during the holidays too! Surviving the holidays is all about loving and taking good care of yourself.
Next: The Holiday Survival Guide
This post is part of a 5 part series titled Your Holiday Survival Guide. Continue your journey and take the next step in reading:
Teaching Good Holiday Eating Habits to Kids
How to navigate the holiday parties and enjoy it!
Must do during the holiday: Stress management and dealing with negative family members