How To Get Through the Holidays This Year
The holiday season is filled with hustle and bustle for a lot of folks. You might be used to some end-of-year stress around mid-December since you have work obligations, family events, gift-buying, and a whole slew of other tasks tugging at your valuable time. Not to mention, it's getting dark earlier each evening, which makes the daytime unbearably short. It can start to feel like it too difficult to juggle it all. And the pandemic of 2020 adds even greater stress to this month, for so many reasons. So we at Createscape just want to take a moment to remind everyone of some self-care practices so you can keep the "me" in merry.
First, make time for yourself. It's hard to practice self-care if you don't make the time and plan ahead. I know this seems obvious, but if the sentiment is not a high enough priority for you, it will just stay at the back of your mind where it will become an afterthought. Later, you'll thank yourself for carving out you-time in your week well in advance and sticking to it. So maybe this means making "Me Time" events in your Google Calendar and brainstorming ways to disconnect from the real world and reset.
Everyone's concept of self-care might be a little different, but if you brainstorm ideas, I'm sure you can think of some hobbies or past times that make you feel calm. The goal is to be intentional with your time, and if you can extend this into a habit even after the holidays, you'll be better off.
Second, practice gratitude for the people and accomplishments in your life. Even considering hardships and frustrations encountered, writing down and reflecting on things that have gone your way and the people who care about you is an amazing exercise and can be a humbling and rewarding experience. You can use this as a chance to send cards or write letters to the people who mean a lot to you and to those you've lost touch with. Or just sending a text message, email or making an old-fashioned phone call can really brighten someone else's day — and your own — with that one small gesture.
Third, remember to tune into the emotions you're experiencing. Stress is normal, feelings of anger and frustration are normal, too, but it's important to be aware of what you are dealing with so it doesn't erupt in negative ways. Check-in with yourself when you notice triggers. Deep breathing exercises and meditation are easy tools for engaging and coping with overwhelming feelings.
Remember that you only have so much control over your life. Reflecting too much on the people and events outside of your control is usually not productive and can end up causing more stress and anxiety. So letting go of certain negative thoughts can be a chance to focus on what's within your orbit and ways in which you can take actionable steps.
Exercise and physical activities are excellent ways to manage stress. Soon Createscape will be offering simple health-and-wellness workout classes, led by Danielle Gertner. The outdoor, social-distance classes will be free to members. We encourage you to participate and meet some cool new people in the process.