Will You Add Self-Care to Your List and Check it Twice?
This is a guest post by Cori Leigh Mann
The holiday season is here and it’s an exciting time of year! We decorate our homes with care. Fill up our schedules to celebrate the season with family, friends, and colleagues. In the spirit of giving we’ll buy gifts for the little ones who are dear to our hearts and other special people on our shopping list. Everything looks so pretty and ready for a joyous Christmas!
It’s also a very busy time of year and not so joyous for many people worldwide. Increased stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and sickness threaten to take the joy out of Christmas. For those who have lost a loved one and those feeling lonely, the holidays prove to be especially challenging.
Many are left to wonder how they’ll find the energy and time necessary to accomplish all the Christmas things to do. The importance of self – care can and often does slip to the bottom of our to-do lists. Implementing self-care into our daily priorities may frequently seem impossible to accomplish.
For a long time, Christmas was a stressful season for me and wasn’t filled with the right amount of joy and peace. Christmas had become a pressure rather than a pleasure. While raising my 2 daughters I was a single mother for many years. It was often difficult for me to keep up with everything on my own.
During this time I found the extra expenses to be a challenge. There wasn’t much money to work with. I remember getting sick more than usual during December. I failed to take adequate care of my own needs and succeeded in creating more stress and anxiety.
Everything changed when I began to make it a priority to put self-care at the top of my Christmas list. The positive benefits were life changing not only during the holidays but throughout the year.
In this post, I provide suggestions to help you give yourself the gift of self-care this year.
1. The gift of simplifying your Christmas.
This is the best gift you can give to yourself and your loved ones!
We all want to make Christmas a beautiful and a memorable time for all the special people who are the closest to our hearts. When we overextend ourselves physically, emotionally, and financially we end up with a Santa sack filled to the brim with stress!
Simplifying your Christmas to make it manageable will definitely decrease stress and prevent burnout. You’ll be free to enjoy the beauty of the season with family and friends.
2. Optimize your health with an immune boosting recipe.
When we hear of Christmas recipes our minds immediately think of cooking and baking.
What about the focus being your own health for the holidays?
Why not try this immune boosting recipe?
- 7 days a week of proper sleep most people need 8 hours a night.
- 3 healthy meals a day with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- A daily dose of vitamins to ensure you get enough immune-boosting nutrients.
- Prayer and meditation before bed each night to surrender the stressors and burdens of the day.
- If possible a nap to refuel your energies and renew your strength.
Mix it up together and apply daily to your self-care routine. Guaranteed to boost your immunities and improve general health. Ensuring a happy, joyful, and peaceful holiday season!
3. Sprinkle your day with the comfort of healing solitude.
You may be asking yourself how you can find the time to add this part to your daily routine. Making time for you is an intentional decision that requires your commitment.
I promise you are worth it and will enjoy the benefits!
For me, it was a necessary step as I suffered from general anxiety and panic attacks for many years. All of which made it difficult for me to remain in the present moment. Here are a few tips to help you get started;
- Go somewhere by yourself where you can clear your mind, body, and spirit.
- Lie down if possible in your bedroom and just close your eyes. Enjoy the silence of the moment.
- Avoid thinking of all the things you need to do and just focus on the present moment.
- It doesn’t need to be a long time. Even 15-30 minutes is the gift your mind and body needs.
- Stopping the busyness of life for a short time goes a long way to re-energizing the mind.
- Make it a healing time to help with the thoughts that may be overwhelming you.
- Journaling helps to decrease stress, anxiety, and overburdened heart.
Anxiety: How Journal Writing Helps by Judy Herman
When we’re under stress there is a tendency to breathe improperly. This can actually trigger a fight or flight response increasing our stress levels. Learning relaxation breathing (a.k.a belly breathing) to calm stress and anxiety is so beneficial! You’ll breathe better throughout the day too!
How to do relaxation breathing
4. Season your self-care routine with a little pampering.
It could be a hot bath by candlelight with a good book to read. Or maybe it’s a trip to the salon for an ultimate pampering experience. I love treating myself in the evening with an aromatherapy candle, a good book, and a cup of hot cinnamon tea! Even my little dog loves the relaxing atmosphere and is often lying beside me curled up peacefully! Do this and you’ll sleep like a baby!
What do you like to do when pampering yourself? Let us know in the comments below.
Further Reading: You may also enjoy Nicole’s post about 5 Ways to Be Well in Spite of Holiday Eating.
Conclusion
May the holidays this year be filled with abundant blessings, happiness, peace, health, joy, and of course self – care!
Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Join the conversation;
Will you add yourself to your Christmas list this year and check it twice?
What is one favorite self-care routine you do especially during this festive season?
How do you to decrease Christmas stress and stay healthy throughout the holidays?
Related: Don’t Be Emotionally Drained by Self-Care
How to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
Cori is a mom to 2 grown daughters and grandmother to 2 grandchildren. She is a writer, blogger, and an advocate for those living with anxiety disorders.
Anxiety to Peace on Twitter and Facebook Website: coriwriter.com
Thank you for the great tips! This is definitely something I struggle with this time of year.
Thanks for taking the time to comment Dawn! Happy you found these tips useful. This time of year can be a mix of challenge and excitement. May you enjoy a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year!
I agree with your points, Cori about simplifying Christmas to enhance your enjoyment.
Appreciate the tips for self-care so we have more energy and presence to share with others.
Wishing you and your family a holiday season of pampering, fabulous food and a mix of social and ‘me time’!
~Keri
Hi Keri! It looks like the reply to you got separated. This is Cori’s reply: Thanks for taking the time to comment Keri! I discovered the benefits of simplifying Christmas as being life-changing for me during the holiday season. I used to be so energy depleted before Christmas day even arrived!
May you and your family enjoy a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with peace, joy, and energy!
Thank you for this great reminder, Cori! So true, we put ourselves on the bottom of the list and forget how important self-care is. Great list of tips to follow. Sounds like the perfect prescription for a peaceful Christmas season. Merry Christmas and God bless!
Thanks for taking the time to comment Doris! I was famous for putting myself at the bottom of the list for a long time! Now it is the only solution for me to enjoy the real reason for the season! God Bless you too! May you have an abundantly blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Cori, these are insightful tips. I can especially appreciate anything relaxing. Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for the comment Frank! Finding the time for holiday relaxation is the best!
Good tips. Doing them all and adding a time of prayer, study and meditation in the morning. I asked God to wake me up 16 years ago – and He is still doing so.
Blessings
Janis
Thanks for taking the time to comment Janis! I love my devotional time as well in the morning.
Wishing you and your family and abundantly blessed Christmas and New Years!
Cori,
“The importance of self – care can and often does slip to the bottom of our to-do lists…”
I think it always slips to the bottom, because “it’s not important.” Which is a lie we often grow up with (I did) and believe ourselves.
My philosophy—if I neglect myself (physical, mental & spiritually) I remain subpar in my efforts to help and or impact others, least of all guide them.
Actionable suggestions! Thanks!
Hi Danie! Thank you for your comment. So true that we often grow up with thinking “it’s not important” and believe that! I’m definitely no good to anyone if I don’t take care of me! I too remain subpar if I don’t. Physical, mental, and spiritual balance is so important. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Hi Cori! Love how you advice us to keep it simple this holiday season. The best thing we can often do is make it simple for others, and our selves. When we keep it simple we will discover random moments of laughter and surprise in our families that will actually be lasting. The stress seems urgent, but it’s nothing really, and gets in the way!
Also great points on relaxing 15-30 min, just thinking about nothing or listening to the drone of a TV and really relax ya. Long as it’s not like 2 hours lol. And the vegetables mmm.
Thanks for publishing another helpful post for all of us!
Hi Greg! Thanks for taking the time to comment! I definitely learned the hard way the benefits of keeping things simple especially at Christmas. So true when you say “the stress seems urgent, but it’s nothing really, and gets in the way”!
I love my relaxation time even a short time goes a long way to refresh my mind and relax my spirit. Sometimes tempting to take a long time lol! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year filled with peace, love, and of course laughter!
Great advice, Cori. Why do we stress ourselves most during what should be the most peaceful time of year? Who knows? The best intentions of spreading cheer can turn into draining tasks. This article is a great reminder to us all to remember self-care and keep ourselves in the best shape for spreading and enjoying holiday cheer!
Thanks for taking the time to comment Shayne. Like you say who knows why we stress ourselves at Christmas! Or any time of the year. It really can seem like a draining task rather than a joy at times! Self-care certainly does help! Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!