Home
Author: Stacy McKay
Source: ezinearticles.com
With the holidays approaching, you recall those fond childhood memories of baking cookies, unwrapping gifts and playing in the snow. Now, fast forward and you’re no longer five-years old but a working mom with a “to do” list that just exploded overnight! You’re starting to feel the demands on your time, energy, attention and pocketbook? You see yourself falling into the holiday trap of skipping or cutting back on workouts, gobbling down too many hors d’oeuvres at cocktail parties, spending less time sleeping and more time wrapping gifts, mailing holiday cards, traveling and making purchases that you can’t afford. By the time the holidays arrive you are sleep deprived, stressed and broke! Okay, maybe not all of those things, but you aren’t enjoying the holiday season the way you would like.
Want to make this year different? Want to keep your composure, enjoy your family and guests, stay within your holiday budget, make traveling in airports more enjoyable, feel more gratitude, not overindulge at parties, find time to exercise AND unwind?
Your thinking this isn’t possible, right? Well, it’s like what they say about Santa Claus. It exists if you believe…and you make some slight changes in how you have dealt with you and the holidays past.
You see, it starts with taking care of YOU! Practicing good self-care is as important during the holidays as it is all year long. Saying “no” to you and your needs when there are more demands on your time than ever, may seem like your only hope for getting it all done. But what’s the price in doing so? Is it worth giving up your sanity, the weight that you worked so hard at losing and the budget that you have worked so hard at sticking to all year long? This holiday season I want to challenge you to say “yes” to nurturing your body, your relationships, your budget and your spirit. By doing so you will have the strength and motivation to keep going especially when the going seems non-stop! And more importantly, you will experience the holidays in a way that they were meant to be experienced– with joy, love and gratitude.
Here are some helpful tips for taking care of YOU this Holiday season:
1. Take Control of Your Schedule & Plan Ahead
Know your priorities and stick to them. Eliminate those items that are not urgent. Ask yourself what am I doing with my time that is not absolutely necessary or can be tackled after the holidays have passed? Say “no” to any new commitments that present themselves during the holidays or say “yes” but with the understanding that you aren’t available till after the first of the year. Remember, we are trying to allow you to enjoy the holidays–not be overbooked and overcommitted.
Review your schedule in advance for the upcoming week. Ask yourself what parties or holiday events do I really want to attend? What parties or events can I skip? Would participating in fewer holiday activities allow me to really be present and better enjoy myself, family and friends? In lieu of these events, do you need to workout at a different time of the day or day of the week to make sure you keep to your normal exercise routine? Write the “chosen” events/parties and workouts into your schedule.
Also, beware of arriving at those cocktail parties feeling famished. Take time to grab a healthy snack before leaving your house or grab a smaller plate when hitting the buffet. If you have a hard time saying “no” to the desert tray, bring the hostess a healthy dessert that you can enjoy without the guilt and the added pounds.
Plan ahead and identify what could help support you and sabotage your healthy lifestyle habits. Find solutions and put support systems in place in advance that will ensure you look and feel sensational and relaxed while enjoying good company and good holiday fun!
2. Honor Your Pocketbook and Others
If 2009 has been a financially challenging year for you, don’t add to your burden in 2010. Instead consider giving gifts from the heart this year vs. Tiffany’s or Nordstrom’s. Write a beautiful love letter for your spouse on nice stationary. Be honest and recount the things that they do that you appreciate. Wrap the envelope with a beautiful red bow. Do the same for a best friend, a parent or grandparent. Include a beautifully framed picture of the both of you.
Change your family’s gift exchange policy. Have each person buy a gift for just one family member. Put a cap on the amount of the gift. Encourage family members to pick a gift that really honors his or her uniqueness. Share with that person why you chose that particular gift and how special they are to you. If every family member takes five minutes to really share their gratitude and love for the person on their list, your family will have the best holiday ever. (Have tissues handy. This could be a tear fest!)
3. Practice Mindfulness & Gratitude
The holidays can be for many of us a time that we focus on spirit and our relationship with a Higher power. But, for a lot of us, all of the “to dos” rob us of the real joy that this season represents.
However, eliminating all the unnecessary obligations, money stressors that the holidays can create, and putting a few consistent mindful practices into play, you will be better able to really connect to the “Spirit” of the season.
Instead of getting frustrated that you have to wait forever in line at the supermarket check-out counter to buy your Thanksgiving ingredients or fretting over the fact that your plane has been delayed for two hours due to bad weather, spend the time taking several deep breaths from your diaphragm or closing your eyes and shutting out everything around you. Don’t worry when the supermarket line starts moving or the plane finally shows up, someone behind you or on the loud speaker will let you know.
Also, the holidays are a great time to start a Gratitude Journal or Appreciative List. Here is an exercise you can do each morning, provided by Jacqueline Kelm the author or “The Joy of Appreciative Living.” Each morning write out three things you are grateful for. Then take 30 seconds to close your eyes and really be mindful and feel the appreciation. Then take two to three minutes to reflect on your answer to the following question and write it down: What is one thing I could do today, no matter how small that would increase my joy? This exercise will help bring more love and joy to your holidays. Treat yourself to a gift (that won’t cost you anything) and keep doing the exercises after the holidays have passed. Notice how much more aware you are of the things that bring you joy and how much more you appreciate your life!
Growth Step
1. The social activities that I am most interested in attending this holiday season are:
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
I will say “no” to these activities or obligations during the holiday season:
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2. I can save money and make this Holiday season more special than ever by:
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
3. The mindful and gratitude practices I will commit to during the holidays are:
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Stacy McKay is a certified Wellness Coach, an Empowerment Life Coach and a Personal Fitness Trainer. Stacy works primarily with women who are struggling with a variety of issues that are all too common in mid-life. Her approach is particularly effective for women seeking to overcome health or weight-loss issues, who have lost sight of and/or belief in their ability to pursue their dreams and aspirations or who are struggling to balance the needs of work and family with the need to take care of themselves. For more information on how you can experience optimal wellness by becoming part of a Self-care Group Coaching program visit: http://stacymckay.com/getting-started/ To learn more about Wellness and Empowerment Life Coaching and how it can benefit you, request your free consultation with Stacy by visiting http://www.StacyMcKay.com