“Me” Time During the Holidays

Take Time for yourself

This time of year is probably the most stressful time for many people. There are the normal stresses of work and school, but add on top of that the holiday season, finals, and … While it is always important to take time for yourself to help relieve stress, it is super important during this time of year because people get so busy and caught up in financials, planning or hosting parties, and overall doing their best to make sure the holidays are a success, that time for themselves does not come naturally. In fact the stress at this time of year now has a diagnosis called the “Holiday Blues”. There are some ways however that we can combat this stress:

1. Schedule in time for yourself: You are making time for everyone else and thinking too far ahead in the future. Sure there is more to be done during this time of year, however there is a study that shows that taking me time actually increases your productivity and allows you to be happier doing things that would normally be stressors.

2. Shopping: While you are out shopping for everyone else, pick something out for yourself. It doesn’t have to be anything big, but maybe that new shirt has been calling your name for some time now. There actually are benefits to ‘retail therapy’ and it is said that it can be therapeutic, at least in moderation. So buy something small for yourself this holiday season!

3. Talk to someone about what you are stressed about: I know this is cliche, but you don’t need a therapist or counsellor if you don’t already have one. Call up your mom or talk to your best friend and tell them what you are worried or stressed about. They may have some wonderful solutions for you or offer to help, but the most important thing is that you can get some stuff off your chest. While you shouldn’t always focus on the negative, there actually are some benefits to complaining. Just don’t keep dwelling on the negative after you’ve let it all out of your system.

These are just some tips to combat those Holiday Blues and remember that the holidays come around every year, so don’t dwell on what you could have done or should have bought someone. There is always next year. Happy Holidays!

• holidays
• mental health
• relaxation
• self-care