As a parent, a business owner, a spouse; there are many directions I have felt pulled and feel pulled throughout the year never mind the holiday season.
How do I navigate it? First consider how I want to feel over the holidays? How do I want my mind and body to feel? I check in with how it is currently feeling? When I head back to the office/ work how do I want to feel?
Well – planning for sure – I learned that less is more in terms of commitment of my time and going to events. I strategically pic and choose what and where I go and what I do. We only each have a finite amount of energy to give others. I choose to keep it for my loved ones primarily. I plan in my time for myself, my movement, my reset, my mind be it reading or art, ensure that I have the right groceries in the house to fill my nutrient bucket and my families so we have room for the Christmas goodies.
I learned years ago that shopping for the holidays for me was best done in September and October to avoid the crowds and the energy of the crowds. As a health care provider – I am very sensitive to individuals energy and if I can avoid being around people that are rushed, panicking, stressed and angry, I do it at all costs. (Don’t get me started talking about Alberta hockey parents, that may be a blog for a different day).
Prioritize sleep – I work very hard to get to sleep and wake at the same time every day throughout the week. It is not possible when there is a late game for one of the kids – yet – I still on weekends go to sleep at the same time as much as possible and may sleep in 2 hours more than normal. Weekdays I am up at 5 am so the weekend is usually 7 am.
Moderation of sweets and holiday treats. 80/20 rule. As I prepare for different events I look at my schedule a week ahead – so it is in my thoughts to focus on hydration, protein and vegetables to balance out my nutrient intake and make room to have those delicious traditional holiday treats. The first drink of the day should be a large class of water before the coffee and breakfast. Ensure that each meal has a protein and veggie. Don’t forget your Omega 3 and Vitamin D every day!
Guess what? – it is ok to say NO to doing and going places especially if you already feel tired before more events and dates come up. When I am looking at the schedule for Nov-January I set a quota for how many events I am open to doing outside of my children’s sports schedules. This is a huge variable I need to consider. If there are lots of games around the holidays – the frequency of saying yes to other events decreases so there is time to recover and reset.
(Please note: As an introvert I need quiet time to recharge – some of you may not – some extroverts need down time more than they realize as well).
Have you ever started days off work and then all of a sudden you are sick? Does this happen consistently to you? This can be a sign that your physiology is overloaded and can now spend some time healing.
Some things to try;
Be present in the moment with yourself and the individuals you are with, not always just doing.
Allow yourself to feel what your emotions and body are saying, honour them with rest, saying no, or moving your body. Whatever comes up for you.
Give yourself some space and time. Plan out time for movement, mindset, nutrients, reset, refresh, breathing for you, for your family.
Teach your children that it is ok to feel – recognize their cues of overwhelm and learn how to support them in resetting and recovering. They may have just had a busy semester at school or had a large life change. They maybe 3 or 4 years old and are learning to navigate emotions thus easily overwhelmed with the sugar, noise, disrupted schedules etc.
If you are struggling and the weather allows, one of the simplest things is to get moving outside. Be in nature without a cell phone, without social media. Just breathe as you walk and focus on the moment. If you have littles – get everyone bundled and head out in the yard and make a snow angel! This often can bring on some of the best memories and i
