Holidays are here again!! Lights...trees...chill in the air...decorations everywhere. Holidays are a time of love and giving. Get togethers, lots of yummy foods and treats. The stores are filled holiday music and sales.
There is another side to the holidays that a lot of us deal with that isn't so popular. Holidays also come with stress and frustration, drama and anxiety, sadness and depression. The memories of our loved ones that have passed often make it difficult to enjoy the festivities. Tis the season of financial burdens of gift giving and going into debt to validate our love for our friends and family. While shopping for the perfect gift for that special someone, do we forget about basic human love and compassion for strangers if they skip us in line?
How can we manage the stress that comes with the season? Here are a few ideas to get us through:
1. Begin and end each day in gratitude- Feeling grateful is a huge part of stress management. Look at the blessings in your life and the love that surrounds you each day. Who are the people that support you? When we focus on the positive and blessings in our life, it helps to decrease the levels of stress.
2. Journal- Journaling is a great way to release thoughts and emotions that otherwise get stuck in our physical body and creep back into our minds.
3. Set a budget and stick to it- Easier said than done right? Not necessarily...what if you allocated the money to something else, like a trip. That would make it a lot more difficult to go over budget if you have something else to focus on.
4. Give yourself permission to disengage- shut off all electronics...light some candles...add some of your favorite oils to the diffuser and maybe curl up with a book. We can easily get overstimulated by everything and everyone around us. It is not just ok to have some "me time", but it is absolutely necessary. So go ahead and grab that cup of wine or tea...soak in a bath and reeeeeeelaaaaax!!!
5. Take inventory of your expectations- What are we trying to "live up to"? What are we expecting from ourselves or from those around us? Simply being present and enjoying meaningful activities and connections takes the pressure of what we think "should" happen.
Now is the perfect time to start your own Self-Care Holiday Tradition to reduce holiday stress! Having an enjoyable holiday means taking care of numero uno= YOU! Make healthy choices of self love isn't selfish, its selfcare.
Blessed Holidays to all.
Deyna
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