Holiday Self-Care
You might’ve read in my previous post about how difficult the holiday season can be. It’s not always merry and bright, and when it’s not (and even when it is), it’s helpful and important to make sure that you are taking care of yourself. The holidays are often focused on caring for others, which is, of course, important, as well. However, without taking care of yourself first, it makes it that much more difficult to care for others.
Self-care gets a bad reputation at times. In the media, it’s often portrayed as “treating yourself” with bubble baths and shopping sprees. Although these are legitimate parts of self-care, they’re not all of it. They’re also not accessible sources of self-care for everyone.
Self-care is also often perceived as “selfish.” If you grew up in an environment where self-care wasn’t valued, even acknowledged, or viewed positively, it can feel selfish to put yourself first. When you consistently put others before yourself, that can actually be viewed as a form of self-neglect. If this continues to happen, it can lead to things like depression, anxiety, chronic stress, resentment, frustration, low self-worth, and burnout.
True self-care includes regularly taking care of your mind, body, and soul. So, what can this look like around the holidays?
Mind & Soul
Buy a new book. Or read one of the books that has been waiting for you on your over-flowing bookshelf (I know it’s not just me that has this going on at home.. and work).
Through the end of the year, Audible, Amazon’s audio book service, is offering 3 months of their premium membership for just $3.95/month*. If you’re in need of a last minute shopping gift (no shame, I’ve been there), you can also gift a 3, 6, or 12-month Audible membership to the book lover in your life.
If you’re not an audio book person, Kindle Unlimited is another great option. I use this often to read books for work and the occasional book for pleasure, too. Amazon is offering another great deal for this membership - 3 months for only $0.99/month*.
*Prices were valid at the time of the writing of this blog.
Take a break from social media. This can help you be more present in your own life and holiday celebrations. It can also help reduce the comparisons to others’ lives. Reminder: the posts you see from others on social media are most often a filtered version of their lives, only showing you the best sides of themselves and their lives. Try not to compare your real life to the filtered life of others.
Practice self-compassion and mindfulness. One way to practice both is to engage in a mindful self-compassion meditation, such as those found in the ‘Practices’ section of www.self-compassion.org.
Consider scheduling an appointment with a mental health professional. Many of us are working around the holidays in acknowledgment that our clients may benefit from having sessions before and after the holidays.
When possible, take time off of work - even for just one day or half day. Maybe it’s because we are conditioned from having winter breaks throughout our time in school, but it does seem like most of us benefit from having some time off around the holidays.
To help manage your time, money, and dealing with difficult family situations, set boundaries with yourself and others, such as limiting time with family members who bring stress to your life. Read more on other boundaries to set in my previous post.
Schedule alone time. All of the holiday parties and get-togethers can be overwhelming. If you’re a parent, the holidays tend to be especially centered around other people. While there’s nothing wrong caring for others and spending time with loved ones, it’s equally (if not more) important to tend to yourself. When we’re not caring for ourselves properly, this puts us at risk for things like depression, anxiety, and burnout.
Make time to volunteer at an animal shelter, nursing home, or other place that is meaningful to you. Volunteermatch.org can help you find available places to volunteer in your area. Volunteering is a great way to feed your soul while helping others.
Engage in spirituality. For some people, that will mean praying or attending church services. For others, that may mean spending time in and connecting to nature. For others still, that can mean using crystals and energy work. Spirituality is open-minded and accepting of whatever it means to you.
Watch your favorite holiday movies (mine is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation - what’s yours?). Listen to holiday music. Make a holiday craft, drawing, or painting. Go see Christmas lights in your area. Bake cookies (see below for “eat cookies”)
Body
Move your body each day. If the weather is decent, take a walk. If you’re snowed in, dance to that holiday music, find a YouTube video, or download an app like, Down Dog, to engage in yoga or some other form of movement. Moving your body really falls into both the mind and body categories since it is important for both your mental and physical health.
Holidays can be difficult when you have an uncertain or unhealthy relationship with food, or you have history of an eating disorder. It is dependent on your situation, but for some people, it can be helpful to give yourself permission to eat what you’d like over the holidays. It can be difficult to enjoy yourself when you are thinking about what and how much you’re eating. It takes away from your ability to be present. So, eat those cookies or whatever other foods you may normal restrict yourself from enjoying.
Engage in a holistic treatment like massage or acupuncture. These can be great ways to take care of your body during the holidays and year round.
The holidays can be trying. Even when you do enjoy them, they can still be stressful. Whether it’s the most wonderful time of the year for you or not, make sure to take time to care for yourself throughout all of the holiday madness.
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