This time of year can be so exciting. Who doesn’t love the pretty lights, parties and family gatherings??? Well, let me carefully answer that… A LOT of people 
The holiday season is filled with so many wonderful things. I do love certain types of seasonal foods, celebrating with friends/family, Christmas 
songs and all the decorations. However, most people (myself included) don’t live within the confines of a Hallmark holiday special. The holidays can be stressful–I had another reminder of that today.
Many stressors of the season are provoked by things we try to avoid most of the year like people that rub us the wrong way, food pushers, frustrating family members, well-meaning comments (or not), so many parties in too little time, more alcohol than we need, spending more money than we should, and the list could go on and on. All of these things evoke some sort of feelings that may cause us to be happy or sad (among many other feelings). If we don’t take a little time to pay attention to the feelings and appropriately deal with them, guess what can happen for many of us?
We just stuff it! We stuff the feelings down by stuffing our faces. Have you stuffed another chip with dip in your mouth as you tried to avoid saying something or as a distraction for what you were really feeling? I think we all have…
As hard as it may be, it’s so important that we plan in time for self-care and reflection even when it’s uncomfortable. So, STOP, and do this now! Look at your schedule and plan time to take care of you. You can decide what that may look like. It includes not letting your schedule get crazy for most people in addition to things like journaling, reading, getting enough sleep, staying on your walking routine, staying hydrated, getting a massage, etc… Put your self-care in your schedule now and protect it like the invaluable gift it is!
Hopefully, taking care of you this holiday season can help prevent some of the holiday worry and stress while making it more enjoyable. Whatever this season means to you let the true meaning guide you. And, remember, you are in charge of you. Make decisions that keep you and your holiday healthy.
Hungry for more holiday help? Check out these posts on Overcoming Overeating During the Holidays and dealing with the food table!
