Crackling fires, snow on the ground, twinkling lights, the smell of pine needles, presents prettily wrapped under the tree and lots of tasty treats.
Reality check!
Yes, in my experience all that Instagram worthy stuff usually happens at some point but so does the big push to get work completed before the holiday starts, the panic trip to the supermarket for brussel sprouts, the round of alcohol fuelled social events, the prising moody teenagers from their rooms and the calming down small children on a sugar high.
Christmas can be an exhausting and stressful time of year and it can be difficult to make time for yourself.
Sound familiar?
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way!
Make your Ho! Ho! Ho! last through the holidays
Everybody needs time out and downtime is important, especially at Christmas. Don’t think of it as self-indulgent… think of it as self-preservation.
Allowing yourself permission to slow down and relax for a few moments a day will help you gain a renewed sense of perspective.
To make sure you have enough Ho! Ho! Ho! to last through the holidays this is my strategy to make ‘me time’ happen this Christmas - to make space for solitude and to do what recharges you.
Make a ‘me time’ list
The chances are that you are already making lots of lists: food to buy, presents to buy, events to attend etc.
Why not make a list of all the ways that you could potentially carve out ‘me time’ during the busy festive period?
Some of the favourites on my list are: take a bath with festive smellies, go for a walk (whatever the weather), read a book, do some exercise, take a nap and pick a box-set to binge watch.
Research has shown that writing it down makes it more likely to happen so take 5 minutes to list what you could do.
Be realistic
Make sure that the things on your ‘me time’ list are achievable for your circumstances.
Choose quick pick me ups that will have a big impact on your sanity levels and are easy for you to do.
Increase the opportunity
Try to build one option in each day over the holidays so that you regularly recharge before things get out of hand.
Be aware of the frazzled feeling coming on and then look at your list of ideas as that will make it easier to pick one to do when you need time out.
Telling others what you are doing and why you are doing it will make it more likely that they will respect your ‘me time’.
Make it happen
Think in advance about what triggers the frazzled feeling for you and plan what you will do when you feel it happening.
For example, if I feel the house is too noisy then I will take the dog for a 10-minute walk round the block, if I feel exhausted then I will have a bath with energising smellies, if I feel overwhelmed by how much I have to do I will delegate some tasks to others.
Check in
Check in with yourself as much as you need to (maybe that’s every hour) but at least once a day.
I wish you a wonderful Christmas filled with plenty of ‘me time’. Let the revelry begin.
Share your Christmas ‘me time’ ideas in the comments below.
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Main Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash.
Other Photo by Eleanor.
