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Who doesn’t love the holiday season?
From Thanksgiving feasts to the Christmas cheer! The twinkling lights, the Christmas carols, the festive mood. The glowing white snow… and the excitement of delicious food, hot cocoa, Christmas desserts, comfy cute clothes…
If you are in India, you start seeing Diwali lights everywhere. Your phone starts exploding with all the Diwali card parties. You start saving all Diwali outfit ideas on Instagram, going to Diwali melas, shopping, eating the unlimited sweets, dressing up…
But then there is also the family time,
and the gifts you have to think of and buy,
and all the parties you don’t want to go to,
And the pressure of looking perfect on social media: who is wearing the cutest outfits and having the most fun.
Suddenly holiday season doesn’t seem so fun.
But it doesn’t have to be so.
Glide through the holidays with no stress and only fun by adding this one ingredient into the season: self-love!
Don’t have time right now? Save it for later!
How to Practice Self-Love During the Holidays!
1. Make time for yourself
When you make time for yourself, you are telling your subconscious that you are important. And that will boost your confidence and give out the message to others so that they find you important too!
But not only that, with all the emotions, family drama, stress, fun, and chaos surrounding the holiday season, it is really important to slow down. If you don’t, it will all pass by in a blur. And you want to remember it (the good times, at least), right?
So take some time each morning or night to journal high’s and low’s of the day.
Or, take a walk alone, to ground yourself and get back to the present reality and into your body.
You could also take a warm bath (make it special with candles and music and wine and everything else cozy and lovely).
Meditation, deep breathing, journaling, having a gratitude practice are all things you can do for yourself.
These simple activities for yourself will ground you, make you less emotionally-strung, calm down frazzled nerves, and leave you feeling much happier and calm overall.
2. Solidify your personal values and beliefs
Ram Dass, the spiritual teacher, once said: “If you think you are enlightened, go and spend a week with your family.
Your limiting beliefs were formed mostly when you were a child, when your brain was the most malleable. So a lot of things that your family will say might reconfirm your negative beliefs, that you are trying to fight.
For example: “you need to work hard to make money”, “we just aren’t as rich as ‘them’”, “obesity runs in our family”, “good people don’t buy expensive things”, “people who drink are bad”, etc. There are SO many limiting beliefs, pretty much anything you keep subconsciously telling yourself and a value you live by, even if there isn’t any physical evidence.
So remember, when you are around your family, it can be really hard to remember the new beliefs you have tried to solidify into your subconscious. Being around the same people you grew up with will rewrite those unwanted beliefs. So you have to put in extra effort to stand your ground (in your own head).
3. Be Aware of Your Ego
Your ego will be extremely active during the holiday season. It will tell you things like: “you should just stay in your 9-5” or “you aren’t as successful as your sister”, etc. It can even start comparing you and your friends, or who is having a better vacation, or who is having more fun (ahem Social Media).
Depending on what is comfy and safe for your ego mind, your little ego will keep talking to you, pulling you down, and scaring you. After all, it wants to keep you safe. Safe from disappointment, shame, and risks. But in order to do that, it makes up crazy scenarios and fears that you really don’t need to be afraid of. So remember that. Don’t unnecessarily feel bad about yourself and retreat into the comfort of your family, and what THEY tell you to do (of course, considering your plan is different from their dreams for you).
4. Set Boundaries
Ever heard of the saying “good fences make good neighbours”?
That is because every human being needs boundaries. But out of our desire to be nice and not hurt anyone, we don’t build any boundaries. That is great in theory, but in reality, we end up with frustration, resentment, and messed up mental health.
In order to have a better relationship with your loved ones, it is wiser to set some boundaries beforehand so they know what to expect, and won’t feel bad. This will also ensure you are much calmer and in a better mood when you do spend time with them! Win-win.
So if you need your morning coffee in silence, or need an hour during the day just for yourself, let them know. It will leave everyone so much happier this holiday season.
5. Make sure you are looking after your physical wellness
Your physical health is directly correlated to your mental health.
Be mindful of what you eat. With all the parties during holiday season, it is easy to go overboard. Be picky about your desserts. Avoid packaged dessert or the baked goods at office.
Ensure you incorporate some exercise every day or a few times a week.
Remember, going to the gym is not just for losing weight. In fact, that is just one of the MANY reasons you should exercise.
- It boosts endorphins (which make you feel happy, so you can have a happier holiday season)
- It is good for your memory, focus, and cognitive performance.
- It helps you release stress (and if we are honest, holidays and spending time with so many people can often be very stress-inducing)
- Fights disease
- Improves sleep – Trust me, you don’t want to be cranky and sleepy during holiday season around your friends and family
- And a million more!
Remember you are not the cause for someone else’s mindset
It is important to remember that if someone is upset by you, or hurt, when you didn’t mean it, it is because of their own issues. I don’t mean that in a bad way, nor does that give you permission to be a b***. But, if you don’t mean to trigger someone and they get triggered, that just means they have some emotional or mental trauma they need to work through. It could be insecurity, fear, anxiety, etc… anything. But you don’t need to blame yourself.
7. Accept and love yourself
This is so important. You might say the wrong thing to someone. You might wake up not feeling so into the whole holiday-season. You might not look as cute as your childhood best friend.
But you know what, forgive yourself. Accept yourself. And love yourself regardless. Give your human a hug and say: it is okay. I am fine the way I am. And if I don’t feel so good today, I will take extra care of me.
If I said the wrong thing to someone, well, I did my best. I am doing my best, and I am just human. I love my little cute pretty sexy unique human body that is doing its best and that’s that. End of story.
8. And have FUN!
The whole point of holiday season is to have fun! So drink that wine, eat that dessert, and dance like no one is watching. Laugh a little louder, treat yourself to those cute boots, and put on sparkly makeup. Just enjoy, let go of the little icky things, and embrace all the beautiful, happy things. Allowing yourself to have fun and let go of negativity is the BEST thing you can do for yourself!
And if you need more help, you can always reach out to me! We can see how to work through limiting beliefs and negative mindsets with immense amounts of self-love so you can have a beautiful, happy, and stress-free holiday season!
Conclusion
I hope this list helps you. I journal every morning, with a cup of coffee. Over the years I have journaled in different ways, sometimes doing all of the above, and sometimes just one. Whatever you choose, it will help you. Journaling helps center you, ground you, and process thoughts and emotions.
But most importantly, it deepens the relationship you have with yourself. And that is the most important and powerful thing you can do to grow as a person.
Self-Love for the Holidays Checklist and Bundle
Grab this FREE bundle and print it out (or just save it on your phone) so that you can practice self-love to ensure you have a truly happy holiday season!
Pin for later! 🙂
You made such awesome points! Self love is so important and the holidays can get really stressful! Definitely saving this for when I need to look back at it
Glad you liked them! Have a lovely day! <3
Self love is so important! Love this post!
Thank you!
Thank you for this reminder. Boundary setting and caring for my physical wellness is top on my priority list
that is great! Good to set a few priorities in advance
As someone who is always exhausted after the holidays, I needed this! Thank you!
you are welcome! You can also get the self-care checklist for the holiday season to help you prioritize yourself! 🙂
Self-love is so important, and it is great to hear you encouraging others to practice it, especially during the holiday season!!
Thanks! Holiday season can be tricky so it is important to be aware 🙂
Yes! Don’t forget to give yourself time during this busy season .
Yes! it is so important <3
Great topic we owe it to ourselves to treat ourselves better and to value our uniqueness
Yes we do! we can’t love from an empty cup
It’s definitely the time to do something for yourself and stop
for the moment, to embrace the feeeling of enchantment.
Love the the tips, wonderful ideas..
Exactly! holiday season should be about loving yourself too, not just others
This is such a beautiful post <3 the holidays can be such a stressful time, I love that you're making the intentional effort to focus on self-love! Cheers from a fellow wellness blogger x
thank you! Glad you liked it! 🙂
Self-love is so important, and it can be easy to forget to incorporate that into your life during the holidays when you’re more focused on everyone else. Great post! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Exactly! But we can’t fill others’ cups from an empty cup, so it is SO important to take care of yourself even more during the holidays! 🙂
Such a great reminder. So important this time of year!
It really is!
Great information! Self-love is so important and love these tips.
So glad you liked it!
I love this post! It’s so easy to get wrapped up in giving and doing for others during this time of year, which makes self-care that much more important 🙂
Lexi recently posted…The 5 Best At Home Workouts to Keep You Fit and Toned
So glad this post was helpful for you! I agree – holidays can be so fun, but also so stressful and it is key not to get caught up in the chaos
I always have such a hard time not comparing myself to my siblings and cousins! This is just what I needed to hear!
That makes sense, because we grow up with them, but remember your values and priorities! 🙂
I LOVE these self-care ideas for the holiday season. I’m usually so stressed this time of year and it can be so difficult to remember half of these, but I’m so grateful for the reminders!
So happy that you found these useful! I find the holidays one of the most important times of the year to be extra mindful about self-care 🙂 hope you got the workbook to help you!
These are awesome tips! The holidays can be very stressful and it’s so important to remember self-care and self-love. Great article! Have a blessed day~
Glad you liked them! Absolutely! the holidays are a crucial time to take care of yourself 🙂
It’s so important to have self love this year more than ever!
I agree! 2020 has been crazy!
Self-love is indeed crucial during this busy holiday season. Thanks for sharing these amazing tips. Love them!
it really is! You’re welcome! hope you liked them
This is a wonderful list of reminders. I always end up burned out around this time of year because I don’t make quality time for myself. I was having a tough day and really needed to see these reminders today, thank you!
You’re not alone in that! It is so easy to get caught up in the stress and whirlwind of the holiday season, and forget to take out time to relax.
I love this! Happy Holidays!
This is such great read filled with awesome ideas:) Thanks for sharing !
Thank you! Hope they helped you! 🙂
Some brilliant points here Tanvi, and all vital to remember given the current global climate! Happy Holidays!
Thanks Issy! Same to you! xx
The holiday season can be very stressful, which is why this list all about self love is an important one to remember. Thank you so much for sharing this list of great tips/ideas!
It really can! That’s why i was inspired to write this list because I know how hard it can be. Hope you can use some of these tips 🙂
Yes! Setting boundaries is soooo important! Health relationships need healthy boundaries. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yes! such a huge proponent of boundaries!
Awesome tips for the holiday season! I think my favorite is to “Be Aware of your ego!” I often forget that the ego can come from a place of fear and safety. But, sometimes it prevents us from some amazing opportunities! Happy Holidays.
Exactly! our ego mind has both pros and cons – we just have to be aware of both and choose what serves us both 🙂
Very good points. I think we all forget to take care of ourselves around the holidays with the stress of running around to all the events. This year, a lot less events, but we need self care more than ever.
absolutely! we really do!
Hello! I really love your blog and how it’s set up. Very beautiful and easily navigable. I enjoyed reading this self-love article + freebie bundle is very much needed nowadays. What great points and reminders for us all. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to reading more of what you write!
~ Jennifer Lundell
Calm Cool Classy Blog
Thank you so much for the lovely review! xx
I love that you mention going to the gym isn’t just for losing weight! It helps me SO much mentally! I wish more people knew that and would do that too!
I know right! So many times I myself forget about the effect it has on my mental health and i think -ah i don’t need to lose weight, let me just stay lazy. So it is definitely a priority for me this season! 🙂
This post is much needed in times like these! Everything you mentioned is so important to remember. I like your tip about setting boundaries! It’s easy to forget to do that. Great post!
Thanks for your kind comment! glad you found that tip helpful! 🙂