Healthier & Happier for the holidays: The importance of self care

Hello all. Sorry for the several week gap in my posts.Life has been nuts and I'm working hard to stay healthy and keep my "Life in Balance". We bought a new house Thanksgiving weekend and have been gradually moving. So needless to say we've been busy, not to mention the holiday season activities with family and friends.   For me, part of keeping balance is deciding  what are my priorities each week.  Priorities aren't just the activities I pursue, it also means taking time to take care of myself and actually schedule self care. May sound a bit crazy but it really helps to keep me sane and more relaxed.

Self care is a is exactly what it sounds like: taking some time to be good to yourself and it can be done in ton of different ways. You also don't need a lot of time to practice it.WhenI have a full day off, I definitely take advantage of it, but thats not a typical amount of free time for most of us.  Instead try to plan 2 things a day. They don't have to be long activities either. Check out some easy and quick things you can do to help take care of your body:
 
1)First step of self care: Banish the guilt. I spent way too many years of my life as a workaholic. Guilt used to be my middle name. Believe me, if you feel guilty about taking time for yourself, it kind of defeats the purpose. Life is meant to be enjoyed. This means that if you're tired it is ok to take that nap, you'll feel better. If you need to recruit the help of friends and family to get 10 or 15 minutes of "you time" thats ok too. When they realize you are a nicer person to be around when you have a few minutes to relax, they'll be happy to assist and they will want to spend more quality time with you as well.

2)Part of my self care is of course taking the time to cook myself healthy and nourishing foods. I love seeing my family over the holidays but I can't help but notice the insane amount of carbs ingested and lack of veggies at holiday mealtime. (A huge thank you to my sister in law Eriko for making my brussel sprout slaw on Christmas eve, it was much appreciated!) So all week I've started my mornings off with a nice green smoothie.

3) Next up hit the showers, or if you have time, enjoy a nice soak. While in there, a sugar or a salt scrub will not only help your dry skin, but its really relaxing too. Meditations in the shower are also a great way to relax.  While the running is running down your skin visualize not only, the grime of the day washing away, but also anything that stressed you out or got you upset. Literally, wash your cares away. For you Reiki practitioners out there, infusing Reiki energy into your shower head is a very energizing and soothing tool as well.  When you hop out be sure to moisturize. When your skin is still damp is the most effective time for your body to absorb that nice lotion. For other spa like experiences at home check out my  previous post : Treat Yourself to a Spa Day.

4) Treat yourself & Celebrate! No you don't have to have a party...we're reducing stress remember?! Once a week, if not daily, I reward myself for accomplishing my goals. I have various things I'm working on posted on little notes around the house. When I get to take one of these notes down because I've accomplished it I treat myself. Sometimes its an nice hour of restorative yoga other times I might buy myself something. Today for example, I'm treating myself for getting back in touch with this blog and attacking the massive pile of laundry that is amassing in my basement. So I used one of the gift cards I received to buy myself a compost pail for my kitchen and a cookbook I've wanted for some time. Rewards don't have to be things to be bought. Some days I jam out to a favorite cd or call a friend I've been missing. The idea is to give myself a warm fuzzy just for accomplishing the day to day tasks that make up life.

5) Another part of my self care is paying attention to my physical health. With some preventative maintenance I find the holidays (which can be rather stressful) can be a lot easier, to not only get through, but actually enjoy.  Over the past month I've been doing my annual checkups, just to be sure if there's anything I've been neglecting. Happily I received a clean bill of health. And with some of the new modifications I've made in my eating habits this year, some of my "not so nice" numbers actually have gone down.

SO, as you can see self care isn't hard. The hardest part is reminding yourself to do it. Its nice to get a pat on the back, especially when you're giving it to yourself.  I hope you each take a few minutes for yourself today any have a happy new year 2012!

Next post: 2012 is an exciting year, I'll be talking about all the great posts to come.