Holiday-Style Self-Care

Self-Care Continues: Holiday Style

’Tis the season to be merry, but with that comes overwhelm. The infinite invites, the shopping, the wrapping, decorating, arranging time to see all of your family, it’s endless!

You may even feel overwhelm due to spending money, or missing loved ones who have passed on.

So how do you deal with the unfortunate feelings of anxiety around the holidays?

Answer: self-care

Even as a healthcare provider myself, I need self-care time! I can feel my muscles tense and spasm throughout the day, I’ve been dealing with on and off sciatic pain down my leg for a few weeks now. I know I need time to relax and rejuvenate.

I need time to quiet my thoughts, stay focused, make lists, take one thing at a time, and be present for my family.

Here’s what works for me:

First, and most importantly, I quiet my electronics.

If you know me, you know that I run two businesses out of my home which means I can be getting emails/texts/Facebook messages etc. at any time from clients, potential clients, questions about my modalities, confirmations, alerts and reminders, it can be a tad excessive.

Then, I take some “ME” time. As simple as a 10-15 minute block of time.

I go to my massage room, turn off the lights, turn on the diffuser and my salt lamps, put my heater on, listen to a guided meditation and/or listen to meditative music. I lay quietly and as still as possible, instantly feeling my muscle tension diminish.

Finally, I journal about the things I am grateful for and write down my goals that I will achieve (notice I said “will” and not “want”). I’ve learned that those goals come into existence if you think about them and write them down in that sense.

I do this every day, even before bed or first thing in the morning.

We all have 10-15 minutes each day to ourselves, maybe while you’re getting ready or taking a shower, put some music on or add a few drops of essential oil in there and let it naturally diffuse with the steam.

Now it’s your turn. What makes you feel relaxed?

We all feel overwhelmed around the holidays, but instead of taking the negative route and worrying about what needs to be done, take care of yourself; body, mind, and spirit.

Don’t forget about you.

Take self care!

Catherine Toal LMT