Put Self-Care at the Top of Your List This Holiday Season


silly face
Be Silly!

Every year around the holidays so many of my clients tell me they are stressed out and burned out from trying to be all things to all people.

As self-care authority Eleanor Brown says, “Self-care isn’t selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

But especially at the holidays, we attempt to do just that, don’t we? We try to make plans with family. We try to accommodate schedules. We try to keep holiday rituals—or change them to incorporate someone else’s.

It seems we do and do and then end the season, exhausted.

My biggest tip this holiday season: Put self-care at the top of your list. Doing so will help take the stress out of the holidays—and establish a wonderful routine as you enter the New Year.

Here are 10 FREE self-care gifts you can give yourself this holiday season:

  1. Make a date. With yourself. Go to a museum, art gallery, or sporting event. Read a magazine or book. Just take an hour to do whatever it is you love to do that nurtures your soul.
  2. Rage on the page. Spend 10 minutes writing down anything and everything that’s bothering you on a sheet of paper. Then shred it or torch it (safely, of course).
  3. Tune out. Turn off your phone. Stay off of social media. It’s great if you can do this for a weekend. Just let people know ahead of time that you’re unplugging so they don’t worry about you.
  4. Schedule playtime. Take 5 minutes—several times a day—to goof around. Look in the mirror and stick out your tongue. Laugh out loud. Dance in your kitchen. Be silly.
  5. Do mini-meditations. Spend just one minute with your eyes closed and focused on your breathing. If you have 10 minutes, do a body scan: Start at the top of your head and silently thank each part of your body.
  6. Go for a walk. Even 15 minutes in the fresh air can help.
  7. Take a bath. Add your favorite essential oils to the water. Light a candle and put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the bathroom door.
  8. Phone a friend. Call someone who always lifts your spirit, who you can count on for a good laugh and a shot of positivity.
  9. Take a nap. Just 10-20 minutes can be incredibly restorative.
  10. Let go of expectations. For yourself. For others.

Are you ready to release old energy, patterns, or beliefs that no longer serve you? Do you long for just an hour to relax and restore? Consider a Reiki session with me. Reiki is an energy healing technique that supports relaxation and healing by removing energy blocks in your body. If Reiki is new to you, I’m happy to explain more about it. If you would like to schedule a session, please email me at terri@yourhealinginsights.com or call me at 319-631-0824.

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