First off, I hate the word self-care, so I am annoyed I used it in the title to this blog. It is, however, the quickest way to say “take care of yourself,” because no one else will.
The holidays really seem to kick people’s asses, mine included. I embrace all things Christmas with a fervor that is quite unhealthy and burn myself out in record time.
So I say to myself and you, STOP IT.
Get your shit together and follow my advice below, or come up with a better solution – do what works for you.
- Turn your phone off. The first thing we reach for in the morning is our phone, the last thing we look at before we go to sleep is our phone. The digital world and our inability to disconnect from it, is really screwing us up. When 8:00 p.m. strikes, put your phone in a drawer and walk away.
- Pick up a book. Now that the phone is gone, pick up a book you have been putting off reading because you are checking Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, LinkedIn or playing Angry Birds. Set aside 30 minutes to an hour at night to reading something that interests you. I just received the book Duel With The Devil by Paul Collins which tells the story of the first major murder trial in New York City, it is a very light read – perfect for the holidays.
- Write. Take 15 minutes a day and just write down your thoughts, on anything. Yesterday I wrote about my addiction to my phone. Journaling is therapeutic and they say it improves mental and physical health.
- Find your happy place. Is it in your bedroom with surrounded by candles? Maybe it is taking a bath? It doesn’t have to be a cabin in the woods, although that is mine, what it should be is a place you just think. No staring at your phone, no obsessing over social media…just you, alone. Crazy scary, right? You have to be alone with your own thoughts – oh the horror!
The most important thing you can do, is put yourself first. I know the holidays are all about giving, but the fact is you gotta take care of yourself first or you have nothing to give anyone else.
