Your Holiday Self-Care Guide

Happy Holidays to you. 

The days are shorter, the nights are longer, the stresses are higher, our patience runs lower. You’re wrapping up year-end reports, starting 2021 planning, all the while taking care of your family and surviving a global pandemic. Slowly but surely, you’re focusing more and more on everyone and everything except yourself.

I’m permitting you to give the gift of yourself this holiday season. I think we deserve it every year but in particular 2020. 

Here are three ways to gift yourself this holiday season. 

Say yes to saying no. 

“No, but thank you.” Simple words to say. Important to master. Picture this scene: It’s 6:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving. You’re at the in-laws for a physically distant meal. Dinner ended two hours ago. The in-laws tell you how much time they spent making all their pies.

“I can’t wait for you to try all five,” they say. “And of course, it goes perfect with whipped cream. I make mine from scratch.” Has this happened to you? You didn’t plan to eat five. You planned to have one with a glass of wine, and be satisfied but not stuffed.

How do you respond? My recommendation? “Wow, that sounds lovely. No, but thank you. I know you spent so much time on this, but I am full. How about I take one piece for tonight, and we can wrap the rest to take with us when we leave?”

You can appreciate the time and effort put into the day. Sometimes you need to lay it on thick. But don’t let a potential guilt trip make you eat more than you want.

Have some pie. Have a drink. But stick to the plan. It’s your plan.

Give yourself permission to add personal time this holiday. 

Every year around Thanksgiving I make sure to take at least one day off to spend with my mom. We go shopping, we catch up, we talk about life. It’s a special event. It’s also a day that I’m not on my phone, in a meeting, answering emails, or checking my social media channels. For that alone, it feels like bliss.

Find a day. Find four hours to get off the phone and stay off your social channels. How will you spend your time? 

Feed yourself the premium fuel you deserve. 

Unfortunately, we live in a world where we’re sold products that taste good but are not always good for our bodies. We eat and drink the equivalent of regular unleaded fuel when our body requires premium unleaded. We trust the good taste and short-term positive feelings to justify accepting regular unleaded gasoline. I am here to tell you: You are always premium. Remember that next time you’re at the grocery store.

Don’t fast-forward time and put off resolutions to 2021. 

I’m proud to have lost 150 pounds and have kept that weight off for more than a decade. When I started my journey, I didn’t suddenly change my diet and exercise habits on January 1. I started making my changes on a cold Saturday morning in December 2007. I made a decision that “enough was enough” when it came to my personal health. 

I know 2020 is the most challenging year most of us have experienced, however, there are two more months left. See these two months as a gift. Do not wait for 2021 to change what you want to change today.

Have a wonderful holiday, everyone. 

Be safe. Be kind. Be well