Saturday, December 01, 2012

Taking care of You during the Christmas Holiday season


Christmas time can be a very stressful time. I have been kind of feeling already and I am sure that others are with these to do plus all the family obligations etc . Here are some tips to make sure you enjoy every last fa-la-la.
 Stay Centered. An energized and peaceful Christmas season is possible only when you can keep your priorities straight.  Make a list  What do you value, above all else? What comes second? Third? How important is your spirituality, your family, your profession, your time for yourself? After some thought and reflection, rank your top priorities on a  sticky  where you will see it throughout the day.  Refer to your list when asked to make commitments and compromises. If the request does not jgo  with your list, you do not only have permission, you have an obligation, to say no. 
Remember the real reason for Christmas  Don't let materialism of the holiday   spoil your fun. Make the simple promise to yourself that, this year, you'll actually enjoy the holdiay . Brainstorm ways you can make this happen. For me, the mall is a giant energy drain so I try to avoid it and shop online as much as I can.   
If you find the materialism of the season draining your energy, commit to making an attitude shift. If you want things to be different this year, only you can make it so. Take the lead for your family, and live in such a way that you prove less stuff really does equal more fun. I really stress to my boys that we it is Jesus's birthday that we are celebrating and I try to keep it only a few gifts for each one of them.   I also make sure that we participate in a giving tree at our Church.  
Maybe you'll bag the traditional gift-giving and start a new tradition. In our family, In our extended family we do the Yankee Swap. : Each guest brings a wrapped gift of  $25.  . We sit in a circle and each person, in turn, has the option of taking a gift that's already been opened or opening a new one. It's fun. It's festive. It gets everyone moving and talking, and it switches the focus to the relationships and the event...not the gifts.  There are usually a few gag gifts in there as well and we have so many laughs.    There is one gag gift that get kept being used. 
Plan ahead and don't make it complicated  Simplify as much as possible.  You  don't need to buy everyone in your little black book a gift.  You don't need to make Christmas cookies and attend every cookie swap.  
Take Care of yourself   Replenish your energy  by taking care of your body. Eat right when you are at home-you don't need to eat all the holiday cookies you are baking.  . Make time to exercise as well.   I might not get in an hour workout but I am going to make sure I do a short one atleast such as Jillian Michaels 20 minute shred workout. 
Sometimes a little pampering Give yourself an early Christmas  gift or a great haircut, a brow shaping, a pedicure with bright red polish, or a free makeover at your favorite cosmetics counter and a purchase of the most vibrant lipstick shade you'll actually wear.  



1 comment:

Barb @ A Life in Balance said...

Thanks for the reminder about indoor workouts. I didn't run this morning because of the pouring rain. I forgot about my 30 Day Shred - perfect alternative workout.

Thanks for linking up to Motivation Monday!