The Gift of Self

The holidays are nearing full bloom and the spirit of giving is at its strongest. December is a busy month with Christmas parties, get togethers with family and friends, and general holiday cheer. We are so engrossed with generosity of giving not only physical gifts to others, but also our time.

Most of us have experienced the post-holiday blues: that feeling of exhaustion that hits us when the holidays finally wind down and reality sets back in; when the month’s worth of hustle and bustle, treats, eats, and booze comes to an end. We know that we’ve definitely been there. It’s usually around this time that we go from 60 to 0 real quick. After an entire month of giving to others, we feel like we have nothing left to give, not to others, not to ourselves.

We want you all to take a moment to realize during this holiday season that looking after yourself can actually be the best gift you can give to your loved ones. You have permission to care for yourself; to be selfish from time to time, especially during the holidays when stressors and emotions are running high. As we enter into the latter half of December, adopt a mentality of taking care of yourself.

If you’d like a night in alone, say no to that party that you really don’t want to go to. If your routine is going to the gym, make that a priority. If you really just want to spend all of your money on your friends and family, that’s great too, do that! The point is, we should all be doing what we WANT to do, not what we feel we SHOULD do. We shouldn’t have to feel like sacrificing our own happiness (whatever that might be) for others during this time. Take care of your body, take care of your mind and keep the most important person at the forefront of your decision making.