Holiday Survival Guide

November marks the start of the holiday season, and while there’s plenty to love about the holidays there can also be a lot of stress, overworking, overindulging, and even overreacting. Whether you’re spending the holidays with family & friends or taking time for yourself, you need to prioritize self-care to boost your resilience during this time.

Here are a few tips to stay balanced amidst the chaos:

Schedule Time for You: With your ever growing to-do list and extra packed schedule, it’s more important than ever to pencil yourself into your own schedule. We often put ourselves last or tell ourselves that we’ll carve out time when we finish XYZ task, but the truth is, we need to make a conscious effort. Treat this time like any other appointment - if it’s scheduled, it becomes legitimate.
Do More of What You Love: Taking care of yourself is crucial during times of greater energy output. Whether you go to the gym, do yoga, or love hiking, don’t do less when you get busy —do more. If you usually do a home practice once, perhaps aim for two times. Strengthen your commitment to yourself.
Focus On Self-Care: Put your focus on the four pillars of self-care. If you aren’t caring for yourself, it’s impossible to care for others! These are the four pillars to focus on:
- Nutrition: Make sure you’re focusing on prioritizing vegetables, fruits and lean protein at every meal. Save the treats and carb heavy dishes for special holiday events.
- Movement: Just because it’s getting colder doesn’t mean you can’t still move! Take a fall foliage or snowy walk around your neighborhood, hit the gym or pilates studio for strength training, add in some HIIT sessions first thing in the morning and prioritize getting in as many steps as possible each day.
- Stress Reduction: Don’t over schedule yourself so you can keep stress levels low.
- Sleep: Take daylight savings as the opportunity to go to sleep early! Get in some extra Zs so the holiday chaos affects you less.
Embrace Compassionate Awareness: Spending more time with those we love is wonderful —except when it isn’t. An excellent way to keep your irritation from boiling over is metta meditation, a simple practice that can have profound results in just 5 - 10 minutes. Find a comfortable seat and repeat the following phrases aloud or in your mind:
I am more than enough.
I am contented and pleased.
My body supports me with strength.
May body is a blessing.
Focus on YOU: Remember what the holidays are all about and what means the most to you - giving, spending time with those you love, spreading joy, acknowledging your inner light. When you zero in on why the holidays matter to you, you'll enjoy them a whole lot more!