There’s a lot of talk about self-care these days, and for good reason. In the overscheduled and fast-paced world in which we live, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, exhausted and burned out—especially during the busyness of the holiday season. If self-care doesn’t come naturally, and you still insist on putting everything else before your own needs, you probably go into over-serving mode during the holidays. You go out of your way to make sure everything is ready, and everyone has the “best holiday ever.” Sound familiar?
So what can you do to take care of yourself this holiday season? We have some simple but effective suggestions for you. Of course, our number one recommendation is to give yourself the gift of a Florida Gulf Coast vacation, but if you can’t do that right now, that’s okay. You can do these things.
Start the day right.
If every day, you make a little time for yourself first thing, you can move through your day with more grace and intention. Your morning routine might only be 5 minutes long to start, but even that will help. Use the time to sit quietly with a cup of tea, meditate, journal, walk, or include other activities that feed your body, mind, heart, and soul.
Walk outside each day.
Stay well rested.
Respect your budget.
One in, one out.
Stay clutter-free, or at the very least, avoid adding to your clutter by sticking with a one in, one out rule. For each thing that comes in, another goes out. Apply this rule to gifts, clothing, and decorations.
Unschedule your time.
Make room for holiday magic to unfold and cancel some of your planned activities. Allow yourself some gaps between festivities to fill in with rest, relaxation and rejuvenation and to avoid holiday burnout.
Go Internet-lite.
Forego perfection.
Give yourself the gift of letting go of unrealistic expectations this year. Perfection is an unattainable goal so remove it off your holiday list. Focus on being the best you can be and give yourself permission to make mistakes along the way. Laugh a little more at your own shortcomings and be gracious to the other non-perfect humans in your life.
It’s okay to say no.
Another thing to let go of this holiday season is the guilt of saying “no” to things you don’t want or have the time to do or to attend. You cannot do all the things, so don’t burn yourself out trying. Be realistic with your time and your commitments, and then give yourself the okay to decline what you just don’t have the time, energy or willingness to do.
Count your blessings.
Redefine abundance.
Let go.
We hope you find these self-care suggestions helpful and doable. If you’re looking for more ways to practice self-care this holiday season, then read this for more inspiration and motivation to take care of you. You deserve it!
