Self-Care During the Holidays

Long lines at the stores, tons of traffic, and family drama can easily and quickly affect our joy during the holidays. And we know self-care is a foundation to face and shift these obstacles.

In this blog, I will share how I'm equipping myself during this holiday season and how I plan to care for my body, mind, and soul.

Most people in my old circles misunderstood me when I talked about Self-care, and they thought it was spa days and all about themselves. Self-care is self-responsibility for myself, my feelings, thoughts, and actions. The long lines, traffic, and family are far from the reason we lack self-care. And I have good news, friend.

It can highly be shifted by our choices

So many people nowadays are bringing awareness to #mentalhealth, and I want to go beyond hashtagging on our social media. I want to remind us that taking time for ourselves is part of mental health, and it's our responsibility to see that we're taking care of ourselves first, with our masks tightly secure on us, then our children, partners, teams, etc.

I want to start with me.

I often want my husband to start in the same projects, hobbies, or development as me. It's natural to like to share our growth with those we love the most. And I gotta say, no nagging or encouraging will do that for my husband. However, when I lead by example in my growth, it does inspire him.

And yes, I often forget!

I have recently joined a gym and hired a coach to keep me accountable for my fitness and nutrition. Jimmy, my husband, is watching my every move. He mocks me here and there; however, he wants the same for him because he sees commitment and work.

And soon, the results!

Another thing about focusing on me is that there is much work to do and little time to focus on someone else. My days these holidays are about improving myself, reflecting on feedback, adjusting, and keeping the momentum.

It's tracking my journey.

When you pay someone to keep you accountable, it directs your choices. And even though I often fall and get discouraged, I have someone who can remind me of my hard work and redirect me. And tracking my food intake and workouts is entirely new to me, and I already love how it affects my mood, energy, and how I handle stress.

 Trust me; it's been a challenging three months!

I can confidently say that family drama, traffic (which I hate!), holiday media, and busyness have been on a low volume. It's there and sometimes more intense than other days; however, I can turn the volume down and raise my self-care volume.

I chose a high emotional goal: to lose inches off my waist and gain strength to approach it with passion and dedication. And I encourage you to do the same. What do you want? Be unreasonable, and go big. Turn your frequency to what brings you joy.

And be specific

I started by asking myself which area needed more attention; mind, body, or soul? Mind, body, and soul, said "body!" I was alone and in a quiet space—my bedroom overlooking the balcony. Listen to yourself, my friend. The answer is within you.

When you choose one area, the rest follows.

This fitness and nutrition tracking is improving my body, as well as my mental state and toughness. And checking in weekly is keeping my soul accountable to me first. This is how I re-shift my focus from the daily distractions and drama.

So whatever you pick to take full responsibility for this holiday or your 2023, ask for help and seek an accountability mentor (coach) or peer to check in. Checking in is a reminder that it is about falling forward, re-adjusting, and learning from your week.

It helps me with self-compassion and grace.

Track your progress on a piece of paper. I have an app as a tool and keep a journal to track my data, lessons, and wins. It helps my confidence when I improve by 1% because I'm growing in the larger picture and scale!

I get to see my process and journey.

I'm talking about the confidence from my 1% progress that adds to my benchmarks as I see my growth. The same goes for my mistakes! They are lessons for tomorrow, and over time, they become part of my wisdom. And for me right now, it's in the fitness industry. 

And boy! Am I making mistakes! Some have been painful on my body, and some are funny. Regardless, I keep data on me to see my growth, and I'm having a blast sharing it with my coach and my journal. This is the first time in my life that muscle soreness is nonexistent after my workouts.

I am taking care of my body!

My friend, take care of yourself. What is calling you? What are your mind, body, and soul saying to focus on? Our time is so precious to waste on family drama, holiday shopping, and traffic. Turn that focus inward, and watch it go outward to your family, friends, and clients.

I am growing in my self-discipline.

And so can you! Seek help, start tracking, and finally, check in weekly. As always, drop your comments below. How are you equipping yourself this holiday season?

Love,

Me.