Find Self-respect This Holiday Season - 5 Tips to Holiday Self-care

The holiday season is often regarded as the happiest time of the year. However, studies show that many people can experience short-term mental health problems during this time. Generally, familial struggles, overspending, and loneliness can all be triggers for people to experience what is commonly referred to as the “Holiday Blues”.

Due to this, we do encourage you to RESPECT yourself this holiday season. Below, you can find 5 tips to help you prioritize self-care:

• Respect your stress level - Pay extra attention to your stress level during this time. Take into account situations in which stress levels are heightened and attempt to counteract high stress levels. Be sure to organize stress reducing activities around stressful situations. Be mindful of how you take care of your physical health this holiday season.
• Respect the grieving process - Individuals experience the grieving process differently. Consider including individuals that have passed on in your celebrations. Acknowledge the feelings that you are having and what point in the grieving process you maybe in.
• Respect your schedule - Schedule time out for yourself to focus on your well-being. This can include but is not limited to a period of deep breathing, self-reflection, journaling, and or relaxation. Consider a self-care daily routine to incorporate self-care into your schedule year-round!
• Respect your Budget - Create and stick to a financial budget for your holiday season. The holidays can often lead to over-spending to impress others in our lives. However, be sure to create and follow a budget to lessen over spending and create a focus on financial wellness.
• Respect your Boundaries - Often the holiday season is one in which all family members get together. Be sure to create and follow boundaries in your life to control the access people have to you. Ensure you are prioritizing yourself when creating boundaries for your life.

Although self-care is a year-round assignment, we often focus on bringing cheer to others during the holiday season. Put yourself as a priority this holiday season and practice self-care. Stay safe and healthy!