‘Tis The Season for Self-Care
Self-care is never more important than during the holiday season. As much as you want to make the holidays special for everyone in your life, you need to stop and remind yourself that you deserve a great holiday season too and the key to that is to give yourself a break.
It’s the end of the year and you are undoubtedly worn out- especially after the year we have all had. Your to-do list is probably longer than the beginnings of that novel you’ve been working on, and every second that ticks by is gone forever. STOP! You’re no good to anyone in this state—not to your boss, your best friends, your family, and most of all, yourself. Be kind to yourself and remember all of the good you have done this year.
The holidays, as magical as they are, can be utterly exhausting and now, in order to adapt to this new world we are living in, you have to go another step further and completely re-adjust all of your usual plans. So what should you do? How do you center yourself and refocus your energy back on yourself? You do whatever you can to give your soul even one moment of peace. Whether that’s taking a nap, drawing a bath, going on a walk, taking some quiet time, reading a book, meditating, breathing, daydreaming-or maybe best of all, doing nothing. When’s the last time you took a step back and really took a moment for yourself, for a little self-care?
Slow Down and Let Go!
As the year comes to a close please remember to practice slowing down and letting go. Sometimes the end of the year feels like you’re living in fast-forward and can’t seem to catch up but you have to push the pause button and give yourself a moment, or two or ten, to breathe. You also need to learn to let it go. Let go of the unrealistic expectations you set for yourself for this year, let go of the idea of a “perfect” holiday, and most importantly let go of all negative self-talk.
The extremely wise Dawna Markova, the author of some of my favorite books, including I Will Not Die an Unlived Life, says, “Your soul remembers when you put yourself down; it imprints upon you. Never do this. Self-compassion is key to a life well-lived.” So be gentle with yourself, especially during the holiday season.
Finally, please note that self-care does not need to be “earned”- you have already “earned” it by simply existing. You do not need to do one more thing to warrant any amount of self-care. Everything you’ve done, especially this year, deserves one thousand gold stars so please just kick up your feet, grab a cup of cocoa, turn on your favorite holiday movie, and relax. Remember- badasses need a break too.
This guest post was authored by Becca Anderson
Becca comes from a long line of preachers and teachers from Ohio and Kentucky. The teacher side of her family led Becca to become a women’s studies scholar who writes The Blog of Awesome Women. An avid collector of meditations, prayers, and blessings, she helps run a “Gratitude and Grace Circle.” . Becca Anderson credits her spiritual practice with helping in her recovery from cancer. She is the author of Think Happy to Stay Happy, Real Life Mindfulness, and Every Day Thankful. Becca shares her inspirational writings and suggested acts of kindness at https://thedailyinspoblog.wordpress.com/.
Be sure to pick Becca’s Badass Affirmations and The Book of Awesome Women Writers.
