Self-care for the Holiday Season

On the way to skating this morning, my 8 year old daughter cheered, “Only 27 more days until Christmas! Yay!”

As the reality of that statement settled in, I felt a mixture of the joy of the holiday season with the terror of “Only 27 more days to get so much done!”

I’m guessing I’m not the only one on campus with this conflicted emotion. As a Nurse Practitioner and Health Coach I meet with many students, staff, and faculty and if there is one common thread in these visits, it is the acknowledgement of the often overwhelming pace of life these days. It is the question of how to muster up even 5 or 10 minutes of time each day for self-care, when starting from a place of exhaustion and depletion. And yet, I know with every bit of my being, that self-care is exactly the place to start, especially when you are exhausted and depleted.

So, here are my top self-care thoughts for the season of many holidays.

1. I choose a full nights rest.
   Sleep needs vary from person to person, but most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Sleep is actually a very active time for the body – a time to heal and restore. It provides us with the energy and vitality needed to meet the cognitive and physical challenges of our waking hours. It also helps our immune system stay strong and protect us.

   I know that when I sleep 8 good hours, I feel alert and have a greater sense of clarity in the morning. I’m more likely to choose healthy food; I’m more likely to take a walk with an extra 10 minutes; I’m more likely to communicate to my family, coworkers, and patients with kindness and full presence. In short, I’m more likely to be the person that I enjoy being.

2. I choose to say ‘no thank you’ – sometimes.
   More is rarely better. Have you ever noticed how that first holiday cookie tastes so delicious, but by the 3^rd or 4^th you aren’t even tasting it? Or have you noticed that sensation of being full to the point that your stomach hurts? Or that drained sugar-low feeling after you’ve had too much food? I sure have. I’ve joked many times that the only time I need TUMS is when I’m at my family’s home for the holidays!

   This year I choose to thoroughly enjoy some of the special treats of the season – and I’m going to chew slowly and absolutely savor each bite. And then I’m going to say ‘no thank you’—kindly and gently—to more. There isn’t good or bad food, and you aren’t good or bad based on what you choose to eat. Try just taking a moment and listen to what your body needs to nourish and fuel it.

3. I choose connection.
   A major source of stress during this time of year for many of us is the added obligations and financial pressure. How do you find the time and money for a holiday when there isn’t enough for a regular day? My thought: You don’t.

   Who you are and what you have is enough. Just as you are and just as it is. The majority of my happiest memories aren’t connected to a particular object someone gave me or the price tag attached to it. It is connected to the people in that memory. It is baking cookies with my mother and sister. It is watching my dad have to get those clip-on lights positioned exactly on the tree. It is the joy in my grandfather’s ‘You’re Here’ when we came through the door for our family celebration. And now it’s hearing my daughter practice her beloved holiday songs on the piano – every right and wrong note.

On that note, I invite you all to choose yourselves this season. Have a lovely December!

Laura