Self-Care During the Holiday Season

We are entering into one of the most draining times of the year:  holiday season.  We’re coming off of the opening of the school year with it’s long stretch of no breaks and entering into a time period that not only requires our focus at work but a considerable number of family and personal obligations.  It can be stressful.

I liken moving into November to the whitewater rafting trip we take with our eighth graders at the end of the school year.  On one of our legs we enter what’s known as the gorge which is where all the Class III rapids begin.  There’s no turning back, no way out but through the intense paddling and maneuvering ahead, and while it’s fun, at the end of it all we want nothing more than to collapse in a heap and take a long nap.

I finally accepted I couldn’t be a superhero, that there was no way I could survive if I didn’t take care of myself.  Therefore I make an extra effort to take care of myself.  I take long baths with a good book, make sure I drink enough water, and try to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.  When I can I schedule a service like a hair cut or a massage; my husband already knows that a spa gift certificate is high on my list for the holidays.  Finally, I don’t participate in anything that feels like a “have to.”  If I am tired and cranky, I am no good to anyone, so I have learned to say no when I need to take a time out.

What is your plan to take care of yourself this holiday season?  Write it down and post it somewhere you see every day, then put it into action.  I promise the next three months will be more pleasant if you do so!