It’s nearly December, it’s been a tough year, a particularly tough autumn/winter and you have a busy month ahead. We all bang on about self-care but how does that seem possible when time is so precious right now and money is tight?
One thing is for sure, if you don’t practice a little self-care, you will struggle with Christmas and possibly end up feeling run down and ill and that is not fun!
So, what can you do for yourself this next month to make sure you’re not running on empty?
- Make sure you are not over committing to social occasions. I know it’s lovely to get out but a constant stream of invites can be taxing on both the energy levels & the budget. Block out some dates on the calendar where you have no plans and stick to them.
- Plan the alcohol & rich food intake – if your partying starts early in the month, pace yourself. Decide which events you could perhaps turn up for just drinks or just pudding and a coffee. It will help the feeling of overindulgence.
- Identify the days or evenings in the diary that you will be “organising Christmas” or present wrapping & card writing. Keep those dates protected, feeling more organised will leave you feeling less tired.
- Try and find space once a day for a 5-minute cuppa where you don’t scroll through your phone, you just sit in the moment and breathe! Believe me, it’s like having a power nap!
- Ask for help – I know you want it all to be wonderful but it’s not just down to you. What tasks could you ask others to help with even if it’s things you wouldn’t usually get them to do? My stepson had a quick lesson in peeling vegetables last Christmas much to his disgust but it helped me and he now has a new skill….win win.
We build ourselves up for this monumental occasion and it doesn’t need to be like that. Remember the analogy about the air stewards and putting the life jacket on yourself first? Well get yourself strapped in, make sure you can breathe and then you can deal with most things.
