We all know what happens this time of the year; our October flies by and suddenly we’re in the land of holiday parties, family obligations, and feeling generally like we don’t have time for ourselves. This blog is an invitation to flip that feeling into Self Care Season: and discuss 5 ways to take care of yourself during the impending holiday season.
None of this is to say that you should skip over fun and festive activities and instead stick to a rigorous schedule, it’s more of a collection of suggestions that can set you up for sticking to a routine that makes you feel good enough to show up fully on a consistent basis.
1. Make time for short, at home movement
It’s cool and all to have grand expectations of hard workouts and a regular gym presence during this season…but let’s get real. Through a combination of just not feeling it, icy cold weather, grey days, and a packed schedule; you’ll be less likely to follow through on big movement plans. That’s okay – let’s focus on movement snacks. A quick yoga video on YouTube like this gentle morning flow, a walk with friends and hot coco in a mug, working on a DIY project in your house. Insert whatever small things you can prioritize in your day that not only make you feel good physically but are enjoyable.
If quick sweaty bodyweight workouts are your thing – check out this link to a free downloadable workout that was featured on the Be You and Thrive: Women Who Create blog.
2. Treat yourself to a hot bath with aromatherapy
If taking baths like they’re going out of style is wrong, I don’t want to be right. There’s something amazing about sinking into a hot bath and letting your day melt away (or half the day, if you’re like me and take random baths during the day because you’re sore). While you’re at it, throw in some lavender and your favorite epsom salt to soak in, light a candle, and treat yo self. Bonus points if you hang some eucalyptus on the shower head and turn your bathroom into the oasis it should be.
Go wild, you deserve it.
3. Set yourself up for success with Ingredient Prep and an idea of go-to recipes that are simple and sound good
Life is hard enough, and then you’re also supposed to make a conscious effort to be successful in grocery shopping and preparing tasty meals without help?
Sounds kinda overwhelming, tbh. My not so secret-secret and advice: be flexible, play with new ingredients, and decide what recipes are your go-to’s when life is at it’s most hectic so that you can tweak them based on what’s in season and already around. Make an effort to shop once a week and prep your produce as soon as it comes into the house. I guess I have more than one secret – but that’s why I do what I do.
If you’re interested in learning more about my process behind this, Id’ love it if you joined me for a virtual cooking class or workshop one day.
A few recipes to start with might be my 10-Minute Naan Pizza, Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash, Sheet Pan Brunch Tomato Avo Toast, Smoothie Bowls, or even a cozy breakfast bowl like this Golden Grilled Banana Breakfast Bowl (which I’ve cooked for everyone during retreats and had rave reviews for each time).
4. Take time for intention setting and make a list of reasonable goals
There’s absolutely no reason to abandon goals during this season, but we should all be realistic about what items we hold ourselves to during fuller seasons of life. At the start of each month take a few minutes to set out some intentions of what you want your month to look like; such as proper hydration, making someone else’s day every day, or traveling to a certain place. A smaller scale of this would be to carve out a few moments at the beginning of each week to write out what you’re going to accomplish for the week; then decide what little tasks each day will lead you there.
Besides obvious reasons, it’s a lovely way to force yourself to take time to actually think about your own life, needs, and connect with intuition free of influence and input from others and stressors before jumping into what everyone else needs.
5. Go on a me-cation
We’re all familiar with the concept of a “vacation” – planning ahead and going somewhere to do or see as much as we can, most of the time with family and friends in tow. While that can rewarding and relaxing in its own way, I’m talking about a retreat for yourself. This will look a little different for everyone – but try to make the motivation behind this time away to simply relax and be.
One of my favorite spots for a personal retreat can be seen below:
Whether this is a single-day endeavor or you sign up for a week long retreat somewhere – taking this time to get out of your routine and re-align with your intuition is priceless.
I hope this blog was helpful for some of you – if it was please comment below and let me know what your biggest takeaway was! If you’re interested in going on a retreat with me one day, I invite you to sign up for my newsletter below to stay in the loop.
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