Not that the people of the United States of America really care when I want them to start celebrating the holiday season, it just makes me feel better to pretend that they do. For the next 20 some odd days, I'm going to be pulverized by Christmas movies, Christmas lights, Christmas commercials, Christmas shopping, Christmas etc. It's not the worst thing in the world, until it is.
And Christmas isn't even the only holiday this month. It just gets top billing.
I happen to also celebrate Yule (i.e. the Winter Solstice) and many of my friends celebrate Hanukkah/Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and other holidays. I can only imagine how tiresome it is for people who don't celebrate Christmas to hear I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus over and over again in every store they go into.
Personally, I get sick of hearing all the pop Christmas songs about a week into the holiday season. There are only so many times I want to hear Santa Baby or My Grown Up Christmas List before I want to rip my ears off my head. I'm even known to scream if the dreaded Christmas Shoes song starts playing on the radio.
This isn't meant to be a blog post complaining about Christmas or put a damper on people who are obsessed with the holiday. It's just that this season feels a bit...much at times.
I don't know if it's all the parties, my incessant need to please everyone, or my introvert nature that makes me feel on edge at this time of year. I just know that by the time New Years Eve rolls around, I'm so over stimulated I can't figure out how to relax at all. It's like this season is designed to exacerbate my anxiety.
That's why this year, I'm going to try incorporating more self care into my routine. These are things that I know are doable for me to incorporate into my schedule. Some things I plan on including:
Do at least one random act of kindness per day - Though this item doesn't feel like part of a self care routine, I personally like doing an act of kindness for someone once a day this season. It can be as simple as giving a stranger a complement or helping a confused tourist with directions. I do this because I like helping people and seeing their thanks. The mindset of acting kind to another person puts me in a better mood and I like to think that that that person will pay the act forward.
Connect with friends and family - One of the nicest things about the holidays is that everyone wants to get together. I love seeing friends and family, especially since this season can feel isolating. I might not be able to see everyone, but getting together with people (especially for tea or over lunch) is wonderful this time of year.
Scheduling quiet time - I naturally need a lot of down/quiet time already. However, the holiday season is full of parties and social events. I tend to overbook myself and forget to set aside time to recenter myself.
Remember that I can say "no" - Oh boy is this a tough one. I always feel the need to say "yes" to people's requests, but sometimes it's just too much. Like the first item in my list, it's important for me to not feel obliged to do everything this season. If I try to, I'm going to either get very sick or get really grumpy. That's why I need to remember to say "no" on occasion.
Have a quite place - When I know that I'm going to be surrounded by people for long periods of time - either because I'm going into the city or visiting family - I like to have a quiet place I know I can escape to if I feel overwhelmed. It can be hard to find one (especially when I'm visiting the city), but feeling that there is a place somewhere that I can retreat to makes me feel less stressed out.
This is my list of holiday self care. Yours might be different or you might not have created one. I think having a plan in place is better than getting grouchy because I haven't had time to recharge.
So say your "Happy Holidays", your "Merry Christmas", or any other seasonal greeting. Let the radio play Winter Wonderland twelve times a day. Plan a party or curl up with your sig fig. The holidays are supposed to be a time of magic and joy. If you start to feel like there's so much holiday cheer that you want to throw up candy canes, you're not alone.
Don't forget that you're mental and physical health is important. Take care of yourself this season.
Until next week.
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