11 Ways to Maintain Mental Sanity through Self Care the Holiday Season
It’s that time of year again, and we’re deep in the thick of it.
EGGNOG, TACKY LIGHTS (AND TACKY SWEATERS), CHRISTMAS MARKETS, AND LOTS OF FAMILY TIME.
The holidays can be a heart-warming and nostalgic time of year, with apple cider by the fire and Home Alone on repeat. Tis’ the season of giving and celebrating, which also means “tis the season” for over-indulgence in drinking, shopping, or excessive consumption of sugar, alcohol, and/or meat. It’s extremely common for the holidays to be a hard time of year for many people - over-spending, over-eating, over-committing, over-working. The slow transition of fall into sleepy winter hibernation is taken over with chaotic traffic and to-do lists, and even though the amount of people on the road seems to triple between Thanksgiving and just after New Years, in some ways we can feel more alone than any other time of the year.
During these weeks, it’s easy to unknowingly give away too much of our energy in an outpouring of errands, presents, coffee dates, and holiday parties, making us feel drained, exhausted, overwhelmed and over-stimulated.
This can trigger insomnia, weakened immune systems, depression, anxiety or depleted energy levels.
As we’re busy showing others we love them, it’s imperative for both our mental and physical health that we take the time to pause, and to show ourselves some love as well. If we fail to take breaks, we can end up burning out pretty quickly, making it hard to show up for anyone, especially in times when we need to be able to hold space for ourselves. These are a few simple ways to take care of ourselves this season - easy options for recharging, so we can enjoy the season - and not stress over it.
1. Daily Meditation or Mindfulness Practice
Even just ten short minutes in the morning or a few minutes dispersed throughout the day can greatly reduce stress levels and blood pressure. Try and accumulate up to 1 hour, either all at once (maybe your morning routine) or throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be s seated, formal meditation, it can be anything that provides peace for your mind and body. Some options are meditating, walking, writing, or even coloring. There are a lot of options, and anything with meditative repetitive movements can be turned into a mindfulness practice!
2. Deep Breathing
Remember to stop and take some deep breaths when you feel overwhelmed or stressed. Even just five long, conscious breaths before turning on the car after a grocery store run can help ease tension and lift some weight off our shoulders. It’s little moments here during the “in-between” when we can add in some conscious breaths, helping us to slow down between rushing from point A to point B on a time crunch. Here’s a general breathing pattern recommendation to start with:
- Inhale for 5 seconds.
-Hold at the top of the inhale for three seconds
-Exhale for 5 seconds.
-Repeat this 4 times and you will have taken four full breath cycles in one minute. Everyone has time for that!
3. Exercise
A few short sessions during the week can help keep energy levels high, mind clear, and body healthy and strong, as well as providing an outlet for emotional accumulation. Find what works for you and try to do it two or three times a week - yoga, tai chi, dancing, cycling, swimming, etc. Even a long dog walk is physical therapy! Don’t have a pooch? Maybe join a friend who does! If it’s cold where you live, try a heated yoga class or building a sweat with an indoor pilates or barre class. If your mind is overly active and an intense workout doesn’t seem right for you at the time, try closing down with some yin or restorative yoga.
4. Healthy Infusion
Take a one or two meal break every few days or try intermittent fasting over the course of a few days to give your stomach a pass on the difficulties of digesting heavy holiday foods such as carbs and meat. Refresh your mind and body with an organic vegetable juice, fruit smoothie or raw salad. A quick, light way to receive nutrients and vitamins while adhering to a busy schedule. Looking for something to warm you up? Try substituting the usual eggs for some seasonally spiced oatmeal in the morning or switching the sandwich for a soup.
5. Hydrate!!
It’s not just the sweaty summer months when we need to drink more water. It’s way too easy to have a few extra refills of coffee or eggnog during the season, and we may neglect our body’s need for 64oz of H20. Bring a refillable water bottle with you and try to refill it at least three times throughout the day. Or if you’re working from home, leave a full glass on the kitchen counter or in the hallway and take a few swigs every time you walk by. You’ll end up drinking a lot more than you think and in turn, be able to think more clearly, have better digestion, and of course all the other benefits of being hydrated!
6. Taking Breaks & Naps
Taking short naps or periods of rest to be passive in the midst of chaotic activity can help balance our energy and stress levels. When feeling like the schedule doesn’t allow for it or maybe we’re just using the common excuse of, “I don’t have time” - that’s generally when we need it most. Our bodies often beg for rest, but we’re used to powering through these pleas with refills of coffee. Taking twenty minutes to elevate our legs up the wall can provide the same amount of recharge as a two-hour nap, without disrupting circadian rhythms. When napping, set an alarm for 20 minutes, which is a the amount of shut-eye for attaining a mood boost and some mental clarity. Longer naps from 30-60 minutes can leave us feeling groggy when we wake up, so even when we feel like we need a lot, just a short sleep will do the trick!
7. Spa, Healing & Massage
The holidays are certainly a good time for giving heartfelt gifts, but don’t forget to treat yourself as well! Take a time out with a spa day, massage or other healing treatment such as Reiki or Thai bodywork. There a lot of spas around where you can pay a fee of $40 (and cheaper if you can find a Groupon) and spend 12 hours in their facility with the option of alternating between hot and cold pools, the sauna, steam room. Some of these are open 24 hours, and I have found this to be a great way to spend a day relaxing my mind and muscles before a long or overnight flight.
8. Listening to your body
The human body contains infinite wisdom and has the supreme intelligence to communicate its’ needs with us at all times. Though it’s often not so easy for us to listen, especially when we’re on-the-go, constantly ticking things off the list, or egoically sticking with our habits instead of attuning to our inner needs. The holidays are probably the hardest but most important time of the year to listen to our physiological brilliance and give it what it’s asking for.
9. Say No or draw clear boundaries
Don't feel obliged to eat, drink, or attend every opportunity that’s presented to. Notice when you feel if you’re partaking in something just to be polite or because you ‘feel bad,’ then draw boundaries around that. Whether or not it’s let known to anyone else is up to you - as long as you know where your line is drawn. Sugary and rich homemade desserts, craft holiday cocktails, and too much socializing can leave us feeling bloated, nauseous, sluggish and exhausted. Feel free to say "no" a few times and reserve yourself for the activities you honestly do want to be a part of.
10. Acceptance + Forgiveness
Spiritual teacher and psychologist Ram Dass said, “If you think you're enlightened, go spend a week with your family.”
Spending so much family time can be hard enough to begin with, and adding on the stress of the holidays can trigger us even more so when we’re in close quarters with people we don’t usually share space with. We can use this as an opportunity to practice acceptance, forgiveness, and patience for where everyone is on their journey and how they choose to live.
11. Surrender (and then laughter)
If we reach a boiling point or ever feel out of control, the best thing we can do is take a step back, throw our hands up in surrender and try to laugh at whatever the force is that seems to have the upper hand at that moment. Easier said than done of course, but when we realize we can’t control the person (or people) or situation, it’s best to admit defeat, let go of what we ‘want’ the situation to be like, and just flow in a sense of ease with what is.
WISHING YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES A JOY-FILLED HOLIDAY SEASON
FILLED WITH LOVING-KINDNESS, GENEROSITY,
AND CHILD-LIKE WONDER.
Peace and blessings
