Raising the BARS This Holiday Season
The holiday season is deemed “the most wonderful time of the year.” For many, it’s often filled with loving memories of family and friends. However, the holidays are the perfect time to raise the bar and learn how to take better care of yourself by devising a self-care routine that suits you best.
The holiday season is considered ideal for reconnecting with loved ones and sharing family traditions, a time that most people look forward to. But what happens when the holiday season is not a joyful time?
Raise the BARS to take better care of yourself
The holiday season can be extremely tough for some people. It’s the time of year when your buttons can get pushed with greater ease. Indeed, holidays can bring up our triggers and launch us into a whole new level of anxiety or cause us to regress into old patterns.
Here are some tips on how to take care of yourself and raise your B.A.R.S. this season:
B: Boundaries
Boundaries are vital in everyday life, but especially during the holidays when you’re around difficult family members. Here’s the thing about boundaries: they’re not about telling other people what they can’t do. Setting healthy boundaries is about telling people what you will and won’t accept. Boundaries are how you teach people how to treat you.
A: Action
You have to take action. If this is a difficult time of year for you, it’s only natural to want to go inward (and not in a good way) and start to isolate. Don’t let a painful experience get in the way of a day that could be beautiful and the potential joy the holiday season can bring you. Make different traditions, and spend time with the people you love and who bring you joy.
R: Reactions
How are you reacting to those things that you do not agree with? Are you staying in control? Or are you letting other people’s actions dictate what it is that you do? Only you have control over how you react to people, situations, and external circumstances.
S: Self-Gratification
Take a moment and serve yourself. Be kind to yourself. Put yourself first and honor your needs.
How to take better care of yourself: prioritize your self-care routine
Most importantly, it’s okay if this holiday season is whatever it is for you. There is no “right” way to celebrate it. There is no “one” way to feel about it. It is the season for acceptance, compassion, kindness, and connection.
Remember these crucial aspects to raise the bar and take better care of yourself:
- Devise a self-care routine that suits your needs. Make sure your actions are feeding into your self-care.
- Hold yourself responsible for sticking to the limits you’ve set up so that you can keep your space peaceful and safe.
- Look in the mirror, smile at yourself, and compliment yourself.
- Do something that makes YOU happy and fills you with joy.
