The Best Gift You Can Give Yourself This Holiday Season
It’s something we all need - yet rarely get…
It’s that time of year…again. Time just seems to be flying by, does it not? As I drive in my neighborhood, the twinkling lights on the houses are a reminder that we are almost done with 2023.
And before it closes out there will be a whirlwind of activities and though many will be joy filled, it can also feel overwhelming.
Can you relate?
As I look at this month, I want to share one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. It’s a gift that doesn’t cost anything yet is priceless.
Any guesses?
It’s a gift we all need yet we rarely get. We are just too busy. It’s so beneficial, especially this time of year as the holiday season goes hand in hand with stress. And don’t forget it’s also cold and flu season.
The gift I speak of is the gift of rest.
“Yeah — that would be great…but there’s no time.” You say with a sigh…
I’m inviting you to make time this season to take care of yourself, just like you do for everyone else. We look to create those perfect moments and those unforgettable memories and this can lead to exhaustion, both physically as well as mentally.
In this Season of Joy — how much joy are you experiencing because you are trying to make the magic happen? Instead, the focus is on that never ending to do list — that just tends to grow. The gifts, the food, the events, the traditions of the season along with our regular busy lives can be overwhelming.
I share this with you as I experienced first hand doing too much and running myself down…
…At the end of October, I launched my NEW 6 week course. And though I had the outline and content set, I was actually writing it as I did each week’s session.
That meant that in addition to working my 40 hour a week job, I was spending my two days off writing each week’s lesson and practice guide. And then leading the sessions each Wednesday evening for about 90 minutes.
~This is why I have been M.I.A. on Medium these past two months.~
I’m not complaining — I love what I do in my business and I love the course that I created — not to mention the people who are on the journey with me.
I’m sharing how I wasn’t giving myself time to rest each week.
A few weeks into this extra work, we had some birthday celebrations at my job which involved sugary treats and pizza. Though I eat very clean, I did partake in some of the food that was there during this week long celebration.
The week of the 4th session was the week of the addition of junk food. AND for the first time in YEARS, I ended up getting sick! I had worn myself down (I really could feel that I was pushing myself — I was feeling exhausted) then add some poor food choices which lead to a perfect storm — and Viola…
I was forced to slow down, rest and sleep. It really didn’t need to come to this for me to do that, did it?
With this in mind, I invite you this last month of 2023 to make some time to take care of yourself. To not push yourself and to fuel yourself with the healthiest choices you can as often as you can.
I have heard some in the holistic community say that the cold and flu season is really about us overindulging in a lot of rich food, junk food and excessive alcohol. Add in pushing ourselves more, along with the holiday and end of the year stress — and it’s too much for our bodies to handle — which is how we end up sick.
If I didn’t believe that before, I sure do now as I first hand experienced the effects of this with myself.
It’s worth making time to get an adequate amount of rest, as it enhances our ability to enjoy the holiday season and all it brings. The family, the fun, the friends — this time of year that many of us look forward to.
Think about it, if you’re feeling fatigued, and your body and your brain are struggling, it’s hard to enjoy the magic of the season.
Rest does not just mean sleep, though sleep is indeed important. It’s that down time spent relaxing to enhance our overall well being. It’s an act of self care and it strengthens our resilience so we are more able to handle any and all stress that the season brings.
4 Tips to Help you Unwrap the Gift of Rest:
1. Schedule Rest Breaks — Short breaks throughout the day to recharge yourself. Take 5- 10 minutes to do a short meditation or to close your eyes and just deep breathe. Try this as many times as you can during the day. Even if it turns out to be just a 2 minute break — it’ll give you some recharge time.
2. Learn to say ‘No’ — It’s important that you recognize your limits and don’t push yourself. What events or activities are adding extra stress to your month? When you prioritize what you truly want to do, you align with your well being as well as bring more joy into your day.
3. Create an Evening Routine — Schedule in time the last couple of hours of the evening to wind down with some calming activities. That could include reading a good book (one that you keep putting off), a feel good movie, doing some stretching, yoga, taking an epsom salt bath or a warm cup of herbal tea. What would signal your body and brain that you are winding down from the busyness of the day?
4. Sleep Time — Get your environment sleep ready — keep the lights dim, your bedroom cool and avoid electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime. This signals the body to wind down so that you can fall asleep easier.
As you take some time to take care of yourself, you will notice how it benefits others as well. You will be more tranquil and balanced and be better able to handle the stressors in life.
And you also enhance your productivity level. Think about that one. When you are more refreshed you are better able to tackle what needs to get done. You might even find a fresher perspective that would be of help to you.
This is the journey of self-awareness…
This is the journey of self-awareness…
Are you wondering how to take this information and implement it? That’s why I created a NEW BE monthly membership. Here you learn how to take the information I share and implement it into your life. I share tips, tools, and resources to guide you to living your second half of life as your best half. And you receive support from fellow members. All in an intimate group setting via Zoom. It’s a NEW way to BE. Click HERE to find out more.
And please FOLLOW the NEWLAND WELLNESS FB page — click HERE for a link. I’ve been doing LIVES on the mornings of Tuesdays for Tips and Thursdays for Thoughts each week. Replays are there as well. I keep it short and informative to help us on the self-awareness journey.
If you haven’t already, please take my QUIZ: What is Your Self-Awareness Type? and uncover more about where you are and where you can go. It’s 2 minutes and it’s FREE.
You can also find me: My Website. And subscribe to my YouTube for Minutes With Michele.
And I encourage you to read the work of my fabulous writer friends: Trista Ainsworth, Gurpreet Dhariwal, Amy Marley, Aurora Eliam, CMP, Erin King, Karen Madej, Alison Tennent, Neha Sandhir S, Lanu Pitan, Kyomi O’Connor, Terry Mansfield, Tim Maudlin, Bob Jasper, Joe Luca, JeffHerring.com, Indra Raj Pathak, Dr Michael Heng, David Acaster, Selma
Always celebrating, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, Founder & Leader of ILLUMINATION
Until next time ~
Sending you light, love — and self-awareness.
Be Well,
