Tis’ the Season to Take Care of Yourself
Please enjoy the following written by our student intern, Elin. In this blog, she provides practical advice for young people this holiday season, and reminds all of us to take care of ourselves especially during this busy time of year.
Families gathered around dinner tables, decorations hung up meticulously through the house, finally with the narration of Macy’s Thanksgiving parade plastered on the television. Thesefeelings officially begin the holiday season. Although the holidays can be a joyful time, filled with gifts and communion, it can also be the cause of multiple silent stressors. To be able to fully enjoy this magical season, minimizing little anxieties may benefit dealing with the larger ones.
Food is one of the largest parts of a holiday, as communion brings people together in creating unity. The best way to lessen anxieties is to stick to foods that are comfortable. Trying to make a new dish from scratch can cause worries about it not coming out right. Cook a simple dish with love instead of extravagant, eyecatching features. Sticking with a simple, yet delicious menu alleviates stress and makes hungry guests happy.
Another important thing is keeping your diet healthy during the holidays. The body is a temple that feels every emotion, physical or mental. Eating healthy is a way of thanking the body, hence why people are much more productive when eating healthy foods. Avoiding unhealthy foods can eliminate the nausea that comes from combined feelings of stress and fast food.
Family can be scary and unpredictable, causing overwhelming emotions before even the season starts. This overwhelming energy builds stress when every thought is negative. Whether it is your Uncle bringing up politics, or it’s your Nieces and Nephews making a mess at the children’s table. Although when this wave of overwhelming emotions crashes, we forget to think about all the positives that come out of family reunions. Being able to catch up with people you have not spoken to since last holiday, or meeting a new addition to the family, can all be positives. During the holiday season, focusing on the positives can outway all of the negative, and awkward moments.
Even though the holidays are about giving, they are still about yourself. Taking care of yourself is the most important task during the holidays, but it is also the hardest. It is easy to spiral trying to please everyone, causing you to forget about your own needs. A simple way to practice self-care is getting enough rest. Dedicating around eight hours of sleep in your schedule makes sure that your body and mind is well rested. A well rested body and mind starts your day with a healthy attitude, which creates a healthy environment.
Another way to keep up with self-care and improve sleep is a steamy shower. A hot shower can stimulate the mind, reducing stress and anxiety while building creativity. Which can give you strength to plan or attend a comfortable and enjoyable holiday.
A final way to keep in touch with yourself is to incorporate fitness and activity into your schedule. Exercising can release endorphins that relieve stress, quieting the “mind chatter” that comes along with the holiday season. Activity also improves your mood. By setting a schedule of fitness to follow, it gives the mind a realm of control during a season that is very uncontrollable. Participating in self care, whether it’s through rest, showers, or fitness, in the holiday season is essential to reducing stress and anxiety.
Additionally, a final way to minimize stressors is to ask for help. Reaching out when lost or stuck is never weak, but a powerful strength. A trusted friend or family member taking on some of the responsibility and weight, helps relieve pressure of the holidays.
