A Gift You Can Only Give Yourself
Many of the holiday gifts we will give this season will be selected with care and intention. When we see that perfect something for that special someone and imagine the joy it will bring them to receive it, our excitement fuels our happiness in an endless loop of joy.
During this busy season, it can be easy to deprioritize ourselves in favor of making the holidays bright for the ones we love. When we mentally resurface next year, however, the time we spent taking care of everyone else can manifest into discomfort and burnout for us. Instead of being a time for celebration, the holidays can quickly turn into a chore.
This holiday season, give yourself the gift of wellness. Only you have the power to truly protect your mental investments and establish the boundaries you require to keep your head above water. When given the proper resources, your wellness journey can be assisted so that you aren’t ever carrying the burden alone. By adding intentionality to your mental wellness journey and leading year actions with the idea of self-care, the holidays can be an enjoyable time for both you and the ones you want it to be special for.
Lead with Intention
When we talk about self-care we are often referring to the actions we take to ensure that we are remaining above the stressors life has to offer. When we set boundaries, we are practicing self-care. When we take a break during a hyper-focused activity, we are practicing self care. These actions are important to protect ourselves from feeling overwhelmed by the tasks we need to complete.
The end of the year provides us with many opportunities to protect our mental wellness. When so many little things that we want to get done to set ourselves up for success in the New Year, our ability to give ourselves the space we need for wellness will become more and more important.
Being honest and forgiving with ourselves about what needs to get done and by when can be a great place to start. When we make plans for the holidays or accept invites from our friends and family, it can benefit us to always check in with ourselves first and make sure we are not spreading ourselves too thin. It's okay to give ourselves more time on a task even if it means completing it a bit later than we had hoped. Spending time with those who matter most to us can be just as rewarding as checking off our end of year "to do" lists.
Holidays are for us all
Making memories with your children is both a beautiful gift and the source of special stress during the holidays. Our family units no matter what their shape or size are special to the little ones in our lives and we want them to harbor happy and lasting memories as they grow into their own people.
Something that can benefit our wellness is remembering that when we aren’t happy or something just isn't right, our little ones can often sense that emotional change and behave in varying ways. The best thing we can be for our children is present and self-aware. By healing ourselves and ensuring that we are coping with our personal challenges healthily and constructively, we ensure that the environment our children are processing in remains peaceful and consistent. Not every second of a child's holiday can be stress-free, but exemplifying healthy coping strategies for when things go wrong can benefit them for years to come. Ensuring that their environment is also stable will provide easier transitions when traveling, entertaining guests, and needing to switch gears between family fun and bedtime.
While making memories, you want to be sure your kids are remembering you were happy too. That can be difficult when you put a ton of pressure on yourself to make the perfect moment. Perfect moments happen when you can spend quality time with people who love you. Make sure you don't miss out on any of those special moments by taking good care of your brain to fill your heart!
This idea can translate to any valued relationships we treasure this year. Anyone who loves us wants us to protect our mental wellness. By prioritizing our mental health, tell the ones we love "I am taking care of myself like you take care of me " and that can be a wonderful message to anyone who values our emotional safety.
Valuing Being First
It is always a good idea to check in with yourself if feelings of stress begin to weigh heavily on your mind. When things you are meant to enjoy the start to feel like stressors and you aren’t feeling like yourself, take some personal inventory and see if your boundaries, emotional needs, and physical needs are being met. As we venture into the end of an eventful year, remember to take pride in your ability to put yourself first!
