Keeping Your Sparkle During the Holidays
Whether or not the Holidays are stressful for you, they tend to take a toll on everyone in some way. The holidays consume energy quicker than we can replace it with all of the shopping, the cleaning, the planning, and whatever else we try desperately to remember but forget to put on the list. Finding peace in all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays seems impossible. However, gifting yourself a break from all the craziness is one of the easiest ways to fall back in love with the holidays, again.
Home is where the heart is… and the stress. One of the hardest things about the holidays is getting everyone together in one location to celebrate being together. Never mind all the cleaning that needs done and figuring out how to plan around everyone’s schedule. Not to mention the addition of this year’s global pandemic. It’s more important than ever to take a deep breath and find peace.
Depending on what your job is, work can either be your saving grace or be your tipping point. It’s the busiest time of the year for a lot of people with year-end goals and new year resets; you can feel mentally stretched to your limit. And even for those who love their job, matters from home can be what turns your time at work sour. Taking care of yourself and enforcing breaks from the chaos will make your whole holiday experience come and go with a bit more ease.
Taking Care Of Yourself: Body and Soul
Remembering to take care of your body is so important, even more so during the holidays. If your body gets too run down, it becomes susceptible to illness and with the holiday season coinciding with Cold and Flu season, it’s more likely you’ll get sick. If that’s not reason enough, the spread of COVID-19 is another perfect example on why you should be inspired to take care of yourself.
Unlike the body, it’s harder to tell when the soul is hurting. It doesn’t always come in big waves of stress or sadness. Sometimes we slip slowly into a haze that makes us forget about the things we love or why we love the season.
Tips and Tricks for Finding Peace
- Breathe: This tip might feel like weak-sauce, but it really does help. Taking a deep breath and then focusing on the sound of yourself exhaling is a great way to clear your mind. When our bodies start to tense and our jaws start to clench, we often forget to take deep, cleansing breathes. The physical tension paired with the lack of oxygen can cause headaches or even panic attacks. Not to mention what the changing weather can do to many of us. Taking that slow, deep breathe is the perfect way to stay grounded.
- Listen to Music: Listen to something that calms you. Piano music works for me when I need to focus, but anything with a strong electric guitar is what gets my shoulders to drop from their stiffened position next to my ears. It doesn’t have to be what others find appealing. Just listen to what make you happy and sparks joy in your heart. So if that means playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving, we’ll all forgive your early celebrations! The world is too crazy to be down on each other for doing something happy.
- Sit Quietly: Quiet can be hard to come by in this overly commercialized season. There’s always something going on that fills your brain with noise. Coming in a few minutes early before everyone gets to work, sitting in your car a few minutes while it warms up, or staying in the shower an extra minute or two are moments just for you. They’re invaluable you’re seeking to find peace of mind.
- Sleep In: If you have the chance to gift yourself a few more minutes of sleep, do it! Let yourself sleep in, for a change. Even if you aren’t sleeping, enjoy the safe, comfort of your bed. Don’t think about anything you have to do that day. Don’t think about the things stressing you out. Download a fun, mindless game and just let yourself recover. Allowing yourself rest isn’t being lazy, it’s the best way to let yourself bounce back a little before chipping away even further at your stamina.
- Talk to Someone: I cannot stress this one enough. If you aren’t feeling like yourself, find someone to talk to. A friend, a family member, a therapist, anyone! You aren’t crazy for needing to talk to someone. It’s a healthy response to stress and can help unpack the weight from your shoulders that just gets heavier at the holidays.
Extras!
This post has been inspired by the Greatist article “Take Care of Yourself: 25 Science-Backed Self Care Tips.”