The holidays are a frantic time for most of us. Although it's supposed to be joyful it's also often filled with stress, guilt, and anger. Self care is always important, but especially so at this time of year. This five part series will look at various ways we can take care of ourselves. Today's post is about dealing with the let down and cleanup from Christmas.
After the bacchanalia of Christmas comes the let down, cleanup, and prep for New Year's. Many people spend the week madly stuffing their faces in anticipation of starting a new diet and exercise regimen on January 1, spending time with family, happily or unhappily, in a frenzy of cleaning and tidying, or lying on the couch like a fish at the bottom of the tank.
Time often feels suspended during this week. The high of Christmas is over, for those that celebrated. Many people are off work and the relentless flow of emails slows to a trickle. It's easy to shove aside any feelings of guilt from over indulging or anger from unresolved issues that pop up from spending time with family or from other triggers. It's easy to forget how exhausting the run up to the holidays, or the run through the last month of the year, can be because of the fun involved.
Be gentle with yourself. You survived the year. Listen to your body and your soul. They will tell you what you need. Then give yourself the gift of listening and honor those needs. This week is special, with that suspended time. For me it's the only time of the year that work completely stops and I know I won't come back to hundreds of emails. I am very lucky to have that be the case. I know it isn't for a lot of people. So, if it's true for you savor it.
I hope you've enjoyed this series. If you have an idea for others you'd like me to explore pop a comment down below. Happy Holidays!