Your Guide to Holiday Self-Care
Danielle Friedman
As we progress deeper into the holiday season we wanted to stop, check-in and make sure you’re taking care of yourself.
Though most commonly associated with joy, the truth is the holidays can also be a difficult time of year. Sometimes joy is met with exhaustion. Other times there is an absence of joy altogether. This article is meant to validate your feelings about the holidays and to support taking care of the most important priority, yourself.
Can you relate to feeling exhausted after a holiday or vacation?
Have you taken time off work, but still don’t feel rested? There are many possible reasons you might be ending the holiday feeling completely wiped, including:
Operating outside of your routine
Abandoning important self-care practices
Conflicting meanings or expectations for the holiday
Over stimulation or too many commitments
Boundary violations physically, mentally or emotionally
Everyone has a unique view of the holiday season. It’s important to acknowledge and respect these differences, especially if you feel like an outlier. With any holiday or special event there are usually expectations. For example, your family always gathered at your parents’, but you don’t feel comfortable traveling this year. Is there a pit in your stomach or voice in your head pressuring you to conform?
This pressure is what makes practicing self-care during this time essential. This means keeping up with daily check-ins and doing at least some of the things that keep you feeling your mental and physical best.
Consider these supportive strategies:
Check-in with yourself daily i.e What am I feeling? What do I need?
Make sure you have food and supplements to support your body
Give yourself permission to be alone to rest and recharge
Get out of the house for solo walk, shopping trip or coffee/tea
Schedule a check-in with your regular support system
i.e. friends, therapist, partner
Give yourself a buffer day to recover (even if you leave early)
Cultural and familial traditions are special and important, but so are opportunities to create new memories. As we continue to navigate through the holiday season, remember to validate your feelings as well as any others that you come across as different.
Danielle Friedman is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She is based in South Florida working with clients providing both in person and online therapy. Her approach emphasizes the client being their own expert, while supporting them in learning the practices to take care of themselves and make lasting change.