Fashion, Lifestyle

MY GROWN UP CHRISTMAS LIST

12/22/2018

If you’re like me, being three days out from Christmas puts you somewhere in the middle of a not even close to finished to-do list, a pile of incomplete wrapping, and a half-filled strewn about suitcase set aside for a trip home. ‘Tis the season, right?

While the holidays account for some of the happiest, magical times of the year, they can also account for some of the hardest and most stressful, too. And if you do find yourself suffering from Christmas overload, odds are you’re not alone. Feeling down, exhausted and overwhelmed is a pretty common holiday experience. So, what gives?

“We can feel especially low during the festive season because we assume everybody else is having the perfect airbrushed Christmas – getting along, able to afford everything they want to buy and better able to juggle the demands that this time of year can bring,” says Lucy Beresford, psychotherapist at Grace Clinic as reported to Get the Gloss. “In reality though, no one can have the perfect Christmas, so cutting ourselves some slack and giving ourselves some compassion is very important.”

Let’s say that again. No one can have the perfect Christmas. You are a human being with a schedule and boundaries. Maybe you need alone time. Maybe you are too lonely. Maybe you need to say “no” to that extra errand or last minute holiday party that just feels like too much. Maybe you need to say yes to someone offering their help and assistance. Maybe you need to call a loved one. Maybe you need to put your phone down. Maybe you need to focus on gratitude and giving. Maybe you give too much. Maybe you need to listen to your heart and soul to figure out what you need to gift yourself this holiday season: a little bit of well-being.

WEAR YOU ARE NOW’S SELF-CARE HOLIDAY CHECK LIST

Everything in moderation. That goes for food, drinks, late nights, your friend’s political rants, your inquisitive relative’s questions about your marriage/divorce/house/baby/lack-of-baby, etc. Be mindful of what you put on your plate- both literally and figuratively. If it’s too much, politely skip it and move on to something else.

Exercise. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t kill anyone over the holidays. They just don’t.

Focus on gratitude. If you’re worried and you can’t sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep. Think of 3-5 things every day from now until the new year that you’re truly grateful for. They can be big things or small things, but there has to be something. Life is too good and we are too blessed for their not to be. And if you’re not Bing Crosby, I’d try writing them down in a gratitude journal. It’ll teach you to savor the good stuff. More on that here.

Catch those Z’s. Make 7-9 hours of sleep a night a non-negotiable priority. Your to-do list isn’t going anywhere.

And so my dear readers, that it is my wish for you- my grown up Christmas list, if you will. I wish for you, this holiday and everyday, love, light and a little self-care. May you find peace and comfort and a bit of holiday magic- however you need it most.