The holiday season is loved or hated by many. It could be the most amazing time of the year, unfortunately it can also be the most stressful time of the year. Also the most exhausting time of the year, especially for moms.
This is because of all the preparations that are needed, like decorations, buying gifts, many going to events, or even prepping your kids special school projects via Zoom.
On top of all that, this year, has been very different than the others. It is turning out looking very different for many.
Because of this, self care is so much more important around the holidays than any of us realize.
Here is an important peace of information for you mama: you cannot take care of others until you take care of yourself.
Why during the Holidays?
Self care means that you take care of YOU. It does not mean that it is always about the things that make you feel good all the time. I personally do not think that it is necessarily something immediate that feels good like a manicure or a pedicure.
In fact, I think self care is taking care of you in the future.
It is prioritizing your physical and emotional health so you live intentionally, based on your own needs and values.
If you have noticed, this is the ground that gets tested the most during the holidays.
Self Care Tips
If you want to start practicing self care during the holidays, I invite you to look at the following areas:
- Moving your body
- Taking care of your mental health
- Slow down, way down
- Practice deep breathing
Moving your body
This one is easy to neglect, especially when you are living in colder climates with little kids in the house. Who wants to get everyone ready and out the door for 15 min? Does not sound appealing, but let me tell you, it does wonders.
Start paying attention ahead of time how you stop moving your body during the holiday season. Being aware of your own mind and how it likes to make excuses for not moving your body will give you the chance to get ahead of it.
Instead of planning to rush around and eat all the way up until Christmas, maybe you can consider setting up a time to move your body. Even for 15 min a day. I always suggest, shorter time but more consistency to build a habit. If you can do 20 one day a week and you know that you will be consistent at it then do it even if it does sound too easy. If you can do 5 min of high powered aerobics every day and you can be consistent, do that. Consistency over duration.
I’ve gone through times where I just did one min, every morning, of kettle bell workout when my twins were born. Some times when 20 min on a mini trampoline for the week is what I did, every week. And you know what? That is enough.
Mental Health
The second area where you can put your awareness is your mental health.
Your mental well being is the most important thing.
I like to think of the holiday season as this big box of all the issues that have already existed. it’s just putting a magnifying glass on them.
With this in mind, consider this…be easy on yourself.
Remember that you don’t have to do anything on that holiday list. In fact, you are the decider of you life. You get to be in charge. You get to decide to do the things. Or not.
Take some time for yourself and coach yourself to clean all that mind clutter up. Get those thoughts out on paper.
Journaling is the best way to do this, especially if you are new to thought work. It really helps to clear up your mind.
Whatever you do that helps you clear our mind, do more of it during the holidays. You will definitely need it.
Slow it way down
This advice seems almost the opposite of what we know about the holiday season. The holidays is so much hustle and bustle, yet, no one wants there to be hustle and bustle.
The majority of the people want to laugh, play and enjoy being present with their family members.
And yet, we do not seem to do that. Instead we try to complete all the things, end up winding ourselves up and set ourselves up for exhaustion.
I invite you to make time on your calendar (really schedule this in if you need to) to do nothing.
Laugh.
Play with your kiddos.
Watch holiday movies with your family.
Walk outside.
Fill-in-the-blank-and-be-present.
When you think about this time of the year ending, asl yourself what would you have hoped to remember? Likely it is not that everything happened “just perfectly” but instead that you spend it with the people that you love. That you slowed down. Saw the beauty in the small things and enjoyed the season.
Deep Breathing
When you breathe deeply, you are literally telling your nervous system that it is safe. Deep intentional breathing, I suggest, to practice when things are not so crazy. Get in the habit of taking a deep breath while you are calm and at peace before you reply to your children.
You have to intentionally build that muscle, when things are calm, in order to have it be more of a habit during the hectic season.
Breathing is something that can be practiced very slowly by inhaling and exhaling through your nose very slowly. This also forces your mind to follow and slow down with you.
From a much calmer state, you have a clearer mind, and become more aware of what is going on.
If you want to practice deep breathing, some essential oils to consider for relaxing are:
- Lavender
- Chamomile
- Frankincense
- Bergamot
- Ylang Ylang
The importance of self care during the holidays cannot be overlooked.
If you are like most mamas out there, you care so much about everyone around you and then end up forgetting about yourself.
So many moms I see spend their time worrying about if they are getting it perfect. If they are making their in laws happy or if your kids will make it through this holiday season being sick.
While these things are important, so many thing are not in your control. And the more you fixate on them, the more stressed you will get, without the outcome being different.
This season, I challenge you to do something different. Do something for you that will in return help your family. What if you being happy is what your kids remember about the holiday season. Truly being happy.
Prioritize your own inner peace. This is what matters most.
If you feel like you are spending way too much time worrying and spinning in anxiety, please consider the free anxiety course. I show you how you can start feeling better right away.
What’s next? Watch 4 ways to bring peace to the holiday table over on Youtube:
