Between Christmas shopping for out of town relatives, attending holiday events and such, making Christmas cards, attempting to decorate my home, and documenting it all.... well, I'm surprised I'm not in an insane asylum. I don't have any kids, I don't know how women with children do it all. My mom and my grandmother managed to do it. I'm doing it without self-medicating... seriously. It's ten more days...
The truth, I have one card created and addressed, most of the gifts have been purchased, the house isn't decorated (however my living room is full of the boxes of decorations and the tree in the box), and I haven't even baked one single Christmas cookie. The thing is, I'm not stressing over it. Not going to lose my mind to all the pressures of the Holiday season. My priority this season is self care.
Sounds pretty selfish in this season of giving? To some, yes. The thing is, the best Christmas gift you can give yourself is self-care. Running yourself ragged trying to live up to all the expectations of the holiday season you will only find yourself missing out on the great moments; you will only look back on the season with exhaustion and regret.
Thank you to my friend Alisa for sharing this tonight on FB... perfect. So true of all of us ladies.
How can you practice self-care in this stress filled season? Here are a few tips from my dear friend, Nancy Trunzo, owner of Dance, Play, Thrive, a life and health coach in the California Bay area. You can find her group Radical Thriving on Facebook and her website Dance Play Thrive you can find in my Friends and Muses list on the right column of this blog. Nancy has been living her life on her terms. She is amazing.
Create lists with these questions....
1. This holiday season I want to feel.....
2. This holiday season I want to say no to....
3. This holiday season I want to accomplish....
4. This holiday season I intend to ..... so I can....
5. Make this your mantra.... I will honor by body's hunger and thirst signals without adding shame...
6. The kind things I will say to myself are....
7. My top three seasonal self care priorities are....
8. My favorite way to move my body is...
9. My non-negotiable self care routine includes...
10. I will slow down and listen to my body by doing...
11. My strategy for planning restful down time is...
12. Adjust expectations you have for perfection...
and so on... And nowhere on this list does it say you have to make so many cookies, go to X amount of parties and deprive yourself of sleep just to fit everything in your schedule....
What is my plan? If I have the energy after my morning AA meeting I might clear the living room so that David and I can decorate it. Tonight, I plan on taking a nice soak, a nice refreshing Que Bella watermelon relieving peel off masque, and having a little Sex and the City bingefest.
Remember ladies, and gentlemen, this is the season of love, of new life, of hope, and no matter what your faith journey is, you shouldn't have to sacrifice special moments to the god of DO THIS DO THAT and YOU HAVE TO HAVE.... take time, for yourself, and take care of yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. Spiritually? I know, this season those of us of the Christian faith spend a huge amount of time in church... to me, that's practicing your spirituality through the guidelines of others. Not on my terms. Finding your spiritual center in this season requires your own sanctuary, a sacred space of your own (Please take the time to re-read my four part series from the beginning of this year Sacred Spaces). A small table, some candles, the spiritual book of your choosing... and some alone time to pray, reflect, and have some personal time with your higher power.
Ok ladies... I'm off.... time for that soak.
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