{"id":276,"date":"2014-12-01T14:58:27","date_gmt":"2014-12-01T20:58:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/blog\/?p=276"},"modified":"2014-12-01T14:58:27","modified_gmt":"2014-12-01T20:58:27","slug":"six-positive-things-to-do-for-yourself-this-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/?p=276","title":{"rendered":"Six Positive Things to Do for Yourself This Holiday Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is known as the most wonderful time of the year\u2014and for good reason! We all look forward to holiday events, traditions, gatherings, and more. But as you decorate your home, cook for your family, shop for your loved ones, and attend celebrations in your community, it can be easy to forget about something very important\u2014yourself<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Instead of stretching yourself so thin that you\u2019re running on fumes by New Year\u2019s Eve, remember to give yourself the gift of kindness by spending time and energy on your own well-being throughout the coming weeks. When you nurture yourself physically, emotionally, and socially, you\u2019ll be able to enjoy a holiday season that reflects your values while emphasizing gratitude and joy.<\/p>\n

Here are six things I do for my own well-being and nourishment over the holidays. They help me to savor the season instead of feeling stressed\u2014and I hope they can do the same for you!<\/p>\n

Find peace before starting each day. <\/strong>Each morning, I spend a few quiet moments getting grounded and focusing on all of the goodness in my life. Before embarking on a busy day, it is so calming to breathe in and out as I consciously place my focus on all of the things I\u2019m thankful for and remind myself of my priorities and values. I\u2019ve found that this small investment of time can create a positive, peaceful mood that lasts all day.<\/p>\n

Celebrate friendship with time together. <\/strong>The best gift we can give to our closest friends isn\u2019t something that can be placed in a box and wrapped. That\u2019s why I make sure to plan a lunch or event with my best friends that doesn\u2019t include the pressure of exchanging gifts. Instead, we\u2019re able to enjoy each other\u2019s presence as we celebrate life and our friendship.<\/p>\n

For instance, my friend Donna and I have a holiday tradition we fondly call the \u201cChristmas Walk.\u201d We meet in front of the tree at Rockefeller Center around 5:00 in the evening and watch the light show across the street at Saks, which repeats every 15 minutes. After we\u2019ve enjoyed the display, we take a selfie in front of the tree (or ask someone to photograph us), and then start our walk. We check out holiday window displays and always enjoy shopping at Henri Bendel because of all the small gift items on the first floor. We end the evening at a fun restaurant. It doesn\u2019t matter how cold or stormy it is\u2026Donna and I take our \u201cChristmas Walk\u201d every year! It\u2019s always a special treat and a great way to savor our friendship.<\/p>\n

Make plans to pamper yourself. <\/strong>Especially <\/em>during a time of year when our social calendars tend to be full, it\u2019s important to schedule some quiet time for yourself. (And no, locking yourself in your house to catch up on laundry and cleaning doesn\u2019t count!) I\u2019m talking about something that you\u2019ll find restful and rejuvenating\u2014perhaps a massage, facial, or manicure\/pedicure. Think of it as a holiday gift to your mind, body, and spirit!<\/p>\n

Let yourself off the social hook occasionally. <\/strong>No matter how much you love your family and friends, too much social interaction can be taxing or overwhelming. When that happens, give yourself permission to (as my dear friend Rick says) \u201cchange the channel\u201d for a few minutes. For instance, instead of forcing yourself to paste a polite smile on your face and make small talk for the third hour in a row at your extended family\u2019s get-together, take a walk around the block or go into another room, close your eyes, and breathe for a minute. Or if you\u2019re hosting guests for several days, leave the house for a few hours and see a movie. When you rejoin the festivities, I promise you\u2019ll feel much fresher.<\/p>\n

Give yourself the gift of good health. <\/strong>This time of year, I find that it\u2019s easy to overindulge while neglecting healthy routines. So, plan ahead to make sure that your well-being doesn\u2019t fall by the wayside. If you can give your body a rest from unhealthy food and liquor for a day before and after a big feast, that will be a real gift. (Personally, I\u2019ve found that drinking green juices and lots of water is a big help in allowing my body to heal and rejuvenate.)<\/p>\n

Maintaining your exercise routine is also very important at this time of year. I know I always feel so calm and peaceful after a workout, and I\u2019m more energetic during the day. Even a long walk is effective if you can\u2019t get to the gym! So clear some time on your schedule for physical activity, and don\u2019t forget to pack that workout gear when you travel. Both of these strategies are great ways to ensure that you don\u2019t have to face the dreaded \u201cdiet\u201d in January.<\/p>\n

Hydrate throughout the holidays. <\/strong>If you\u2019ve been reading my blog for awhile, this last piece of advice won\u2019t be new to you, but it is very important: Drink lots of water! (This is something we all tend to forget during the colder months.) Water keeps your organs and digestive system functioning properly and your skin looking radiant. It also gives you energy and can help stave off headaches caused by dehydration. I\u2019m not saying you have to avoid tasty beverages altogether, but when you find yourself reaching for coffee, hot chocolate, or a cocktail, ask yourself if water might be a better choice. This time of year, I make sure to carry a bottle of water with me on all my errands.<\/p>\n

While there is no \u201cright\u201d way to celebrate the holidays, taking care of ourselves is something we should all prioritize! So don\u2019t <\/em>(as I blogged about last year<\/a>) overdo it\u2014and do <\/em>focus on honoring yourself. You have more control over how you feel during this hectic time of year than you may think! Here\u2019s to a season that\u2019s full of love, joy, peace, and friendship.<\/p>\n

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This is known as the most wonderful time of the year\u2014and for good reason! We all look forward to holiday events, traditions, gatherings, and more. But as you decorate your home, cook for your family, shop for your loved ones, and attend celebrations in your community, it can be easy to forget about something very […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,7,6,25,48,10],"tags":[111,75,74,95,115,79],"class_list":["post-276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-celebrate","category-health","category-holidays","category-relationships","category-stress","category-winter","tag-celebrate","tag-health","tag-holidays","tag-relationships","tag-stress","tag-winter","wpbf-post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=276"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":277,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/276\/revisions\/277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}