In case you haven’t been out to retail stores or checked your inbox lately, the holidays are right around the corner and you are being bombarded with seasonal sales and hoopla.
The end of Halloween brings mounds of leftover candy, holiday work parties, and family get-togethers. This means sugar highs and carb comas and fancy adult beverages, along with the end of the year stress and extra money spending and awkward small talk at gatherings. This is a recipe for overwhelm and crashes and burns, if you ask me. And will thus distract from the beauty of the season of gratitude and giving and wonderful reunions.
So before we get too caught up in the holiday season overwhelm, let’s take a moment to be more intentional this season. To have a self-care plan of action that can us armor against hoopla that doesn’t serve us.
Here are my top five tips on keeping your self-care near and dear for the next few months.
Notice What Is Actually Happening To Your Body
I know that it is oh so tempting to devour every wonderful treat and cheesy hot dish put in front of you and/or run around to this party and that sale, but overloading on these things can really mess with how your body systems function. I feel that if we could literally look inside our bodies and see how they are functioning, we would be a lot nicer to ourselves and be motivated on a whole new level to take good care.
Take a moment to really tune in to how you are feeling. Are you full? Are you extra sluggish? Are you extra anxious? Tune into these red flags our bodies tell us and act accordingly. These are signs that you are overwhelming your body, be it mentally or physically.
Which leads me to my next point.
All In Moderation
Yes, I know that we all know this one, but it’s worth repeating over and over. You don’t have to say no to the seasonal delights, I sure as Santa won’t. Just keep it cool. Keep it in serious moderation. You can have your small slice of fruit cake and eat it, too. Just don’t eat the whole darn cake.
Let yourself indulge a bit and enjoy the season’s bounty, but pick your battles and balance them out. If you had some extra Halloween candy at work, opt-out of dessert at dinner. Remember, you are in control of what you put into your body and what you commit to. You can say no. The moment will pass, and you will feel better for it.
Cozy In
During this season, at least in my neck of the woods, most living things are settling down. They are beginning to hibernate. They are shedding leaves, switching gears, going to sleep, and settling into doing less. I think it is wise to do the same.
It is OK, I give you permission if that’s what you need, to commit to less. Or if you have some commitments out of your control, say no to the things you can control. Delegate what you can.
Attend gatherings that make you happy instead of the more draining ones. This can make the ones you do commit to more meaningful and enjoyable. So much so that you quite possibly won’t even feel bad not going to the ones you said no to.
Spread Out The Crazy
Try to stay away from cramming in the craziness of holidays into one day or week. If holiday shopping stresses you out and you have a lot to do, start now. Don’t wait until last minute or crazy times. Yeah, you might save some money at sales, but to me, my sanity is worth the extra dollars on gifts. Or plan experiences instead of gifts this year to keep you out of the retail hoopla and create more memorable moments with those you love.
Hold True To Your Self Care Non-Negotiable
A few posts back I wrote about creating a self-care non-negotiable (read it HERE). It’s the one thing, if all else fails, you will do for yourself every day. Now is the time to hold true to that more than ever. Perhaps you need to establish a less time consuming non-negotiable for now, but you still have something. Something that allows you to tune in and stay grounded. Trust me, this seemingly small effort will save your life during crazy times.
And there you have it. I wish you luck within the next coming months. I will be reminding myself of these tips regularly so I can really be present and enjoy all of the delights the holidays can bring.
No scrooging for this gal. Join me, won’t you?