The holiday’s are the happiest time of the year, right? For so many of us though, they are one of the most stressful times of year. Our time, finances and patience can easily be stretched thin if we let them. Extra time with family, gift shopping, crowded stores and long lines, kids home for Christmas break, ugly Christmas sweater parties, eggnog, cookies and avoiding the scale… the list can go on and on and what should be holiday cheer turns into holiday stress!
Do you have a piece of paper and a pen handy? Write down your top 10 priorities, the first 10 things that come to mind. When you are done, look at your list. Likely you have listed work, family, kids, pets, but what I really want to know is did you remember to put yourself on your list? You should be your very first priority!
You owe yourself the love that you so freely give to others. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
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What are you doing to take care of yourself this month? Here are a few ideas that work for me:
- Move your body. Exercise is great stress relief. Go for a walk, go to the gym or push play on a home workout, just do something!
- Track your food. Enjoy your eggnog and cookies, but take a picture or write it down. When we track our food, we are more conscientious of what we are eating, more likely to make better choices and less likely to over eat. When we fuel our bodies with healthy foods, we feel better and have more energy!
- Find quiet time for meditation, writing in your gratitude journal, playing the guitar, drawing… whatever it is that you do to slow down and let your mind be still.
- Read (or listen to) a personal development book or podcast. Choose something that is uplifting and encouraging, something that will remind you to smile and help you to be your very best self this holiday season.
As I said, these are just a few things that work for me, but we are all different! Choose what works best for you, just make sure that you put your name at the very top of your priority list. You will be happier, healthier and ready for holiday cheer!