Five tips for self care during the holiday season. Juggling work and family? The stress of the holidays is upon us. With stress comes lower immunity and higher susceptibility to sickness. In addition, stress affects our mood and can tarnish the joy of the holidays, creating resentment. Here are some tips to make your holidays less stressful, thus keeping you and your family healthier. 1. Get Perspective: Start by adjusting your thinking patterns, your self talk, and your inner dialog. First, identify your "shoulds", your self judgements, your self critic. These thoughts create guilt, pressure, stress and anxiety.Write them down. Are they realistic given your work load? Is there anything you can do about it? ( ie. I should have planned ahead better...) You cannot go back in time so stop beating yourself up.Something has to give. Don't let it be you and your health. Look at your list. Rewrite some of the most blatantly ridiculous statements with self nurturing, accepting statements.Repeat and review these positive holiday mantras through out your day and through out this season. Give yourself credit for all that you have accomplished given the juggling act you perform every day, all year! 2. Simplify
Who says the holidays have to be an extravagant event? You can say no to a lot of things to make the holidays simpler.
If the complications of holidays leave you feeling irritable, consider doing things differently. This may cause you to examine your list of "shoulds" to discover why it is so hard for you to say no. Ask yourself, "Who am I doing this for? " It can become very difficult to try to please everyone and still take care of yourself. Remember self-care is very important during stressful times, so it might mean you have to say no to certain people.
It is not possible or realistic to make everyone happy! 3.Let Go of Perfection
So many of us want everything for the holidays to be perfect. We want to create memories for our children that last a lifetime. Memories are wonderful, but it's your time and love that people will remember. Think back to your own fondest childhood holiday memories. Mine have very little to do with perfectly color coordinated decorations, or meals worthy of magazine covers. Very few will notice the perfect meal you prepared.
Talk with your kids, spouse, or partner, what is important to them about the holidays? What is their favorite holiday memory or activity? Start your own family traditions. Focus on what you are grateful for. What are you thankful for? What are your blessings? Accept and embrace the moment in its imperfection.
4. Prioritize
Clarify for yourself what is necessary to attend to this month and what can wait? Identify key projects or tasks that must happen during the holiday season. Then create a list for after the first of the year for those tasks which are not time sensitive, critical or high priority. When you have moments of inspiration, or ideas, add them to the list. 5.Delegate and ask for help Put the super hero costume away. The holidays (or any time) are not the time to be super mom. Let go of the attitude that you have to do everything yourself. If you can't get the help you need, then commit to only what you can without causing stress.
This holiday season, take time to protect your health by breathing, exercising, eating properly, getting plenty of rest, and eliminating the added stress of holidays. Cheers!
Rachel Starck , Dec 2010
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Heal ~ Grow ~ Flourish
Website created and maintained by Rachel Starck, Updated February, 2012