By January Nelson

For so many human beings the holidays can be deeply magical, but they can also be deeply draining. In the midst of planning, and pouring out for others, it can be difficult to pour back into yourself. Nature’s Way is helping us to add a little peace back into our holiday season by reminding us of what truly matters, and how to effectively choose kindness during a sometimes stressful season. Below are a few ideas on how to practice self-care, during the holidays — because you are someone worth taking care of, too.

Create rituals, and a routine, that focuses on checking in with yourself.
This holiday season — make sure to check in with yourself. Dedicate specific moments in your day to being present with your mind, and your body, so that you can reflect on how you are genuinely feeling as you navigate a deeply draining season. The holidays are full of immense beauty and magic, but they can also hold a heaviness within them because they can pull you in so many different directions that require a lot of your emotional and physical energy.

Choose a few specific times throughout your day where you can set an alarm, and remind yourself to take three deep breaths. Dedicate the first thirty minutes of your morning to doing something kind for yourself — whether that is sitting quietly and drinking a warm cup of coffee, or making time for movement and honoring your body. By dedicating yourself to small, but manageable moments of self care, you show yourself that you are someone you love, too, while also adding pockets of calm into your day.

Manage stress.
The holidays play a huge role in increasing added stress within many human beings. Therefore, it is so deeply important to invest your time and energy into the things that bring you back home to yourself.

There are so many ways to combat stress within your daily life. Meditating in the morning can help you to regulate stress levels, while making the effort to go for a grounding walk, or to sit in nature for even five minutes, also helps to do so.

With that being said— try your best to take advantage of the low-lift ways you can show up for yourself and manage the pressure and the tension you can often feel during busy seasons like the holidays. Add supplements into your diet that help to promote relaxation, like Nature’s Way CalmAidⓇ or L-Theanine.* If holiday stress is occasionally keeping you up at night, try taking a sleep aid like Nature’s Way Melatonin Gummies to support restful sleep.* These are extremely simple ways to help mitigate strain in your life, and in choosing them you’re choosing to do something kind for yourself.*

Cultivate gratitude.
Despite how beautiful and heartwarming the holidays can feel — they also carry with them their own set of struggles. Mentally, this time of year can be exhausting for those who are empathetic, and for those who give a great amount of themselves to others. The seasonal change in weather, and daylight, can also deeply affect one’s mental health, and it is important to combat that both with routine and self-care, but also with mindfulness and gratitude.

Each night, before you go to bed, no matter how weathered you feel from the experiences of your day, no matter how difficult things might feel, write down three aspects of your life that you are grateful for. Gratitude helps to transform your perspective and remind you that even throughout your hardest seasons, you still have access to so much beauty in your life. Be present, and be honest, about the things that crack light into your dark of days, and move towards them. Make time for them. Acknowledge them. Be thankful that they are with you along your journey.

Stay connected.
The holiday season is meant to be one that represents connection, however, it can often feel chaotic and overwhelming. Added responsibilities and the increased amount of energy that goes into organizing yourself, and making those around you happy, can cause you to want to isolate yourself as a means of protection.

Remember to surround yourself with people who make you feel most at peace with yourself. Create boundaries with those in your life, even if it happens to be family, that make you feel negatively. It is okay to take a step back from the things and the people in your environment that are draining you. By taking care of yourself, and by protecting your energy, you actually help to refuel your heart, and in that way, you can love from a place that is full and nourished and present. That is the true meaning of connectedness.

Add small things into your day that spark joy.
Happiness stems from the smallest, most simple, things in life. Pay attention to the things that make you feel at peace within yourself. Pay attention to the things that bring a smile to your face each morning. Pay attention to the things that make you feel at home and relaxed within your environment, and hold on to these things. Keep them close. Ensure that you surround yourself with them. It can be as simple as stocking up on your favorite coffee for your morning rituals or making sure a candle that makes your space feel serene is always lit. There are small ways you can show up for yourself each day — dedicate yourself to filling your life with them, and you will realize that they were never truly small at all. They were always saving you.



Originally Published:https://thoughtcatalog.com/january-nelson/2021/12/gentle-ways-you-can-be-kinder-to-yourself-this-holiday-season/