It’s Thanksgiving week! The next several weeks are bound to be a crazy blur of cooking, Christmas shopping, grocery shopping, traveling, wrapping gifts, and of course family time and holiday parties. Throw in some extra time with the inlaws and kids off of their bedtime/nap schedule and it’s the perfect recipe for a whole lot of chaos and stress.
As much fun as it is to help our kids have a magical holiday season and attempt to do ALL OF THE THINGS… it’s just not realistic or healthy for your mental health.
By prioritizing YOU, you will be able to be more present, enjoy the holiday season, and be a much nicer mama and wife ;)
If you are looking for specific ways to stay healthy during the holidays, click here to get a FREE healthy mama toolkit.
Here are 8 self-care ideas for the busy mama during this holiday season:
Listen to a podcast while you’re in a busy (stressful/chaotic) store or sitting in holiday traffic. It will make shopping and waiting in long lines much more enjoyable (and even better if you're tuning out your whining kids! ...that's not just me, right???) ! I love atomic moms and sorta awesome for some positive messages and lighthearted chat about all things mama, relationship, and more.
Leave the house for 30 minutes and go for a starbucks run all alone! This is especially important if you are visiting family (or have a house full) and need some alone time. If you are an introvert, pay special attention to getting your alone time to recharge. And don't feel guilty!
Take a quiet walk or jog before the kiddos get up, and get those endorphins pumping early in the day. Your blood will be flowing and you'll have more energy to attack the to-do list.
Schedule a workout at your favorite studio or hit up your favorite class at the gym. You will get alone time AND check off your workout.
Get YOURSELF a gift for once-- book a mani/pedi (or facial, or whatever) before you head out of town for the holidays and PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE! Close your eyes, read, a magazine, do anything but check your email or mindlessly scroll! Enjoy the moment :)
Meal prep! Yes, I said it… prepping a couple simple things to have on hand will make your busy week less stressful. A few ideas: chop a veggie or two, cook and shred chicken to use throughout the week, make an oatmeal or an egg bake to have a healthy breakfast ready to go, boil a dozen eggs to have ready for breakfast all week, make a big batch of soup to have for lunch all week, etc. One hour of meal prep can save you a lot of time and stress!
Prioritize what you and your family members actually care about. There are endless options for holiday activities... there are invites to holiday parties, lights to see, cookies to bake, gingerbread houses to decorate, ice skating, seeing Santa, performances, and plays, etc. If you prioritize what you actually care about and keep things manageable, your schedule won’t be as crazy.
Make a list and check it twice. By keeping an ongoing list IN ONE SPOT (your phone, planner, google doc, Evernote, GoKeep, etc.) of everything you need to do and buy you will save yourself the hassle of last minute trips to the store and late night stress about forgetting something. Put it on the list and be done with it!
Now go enjoy the magic of the holiday season, mama. Focus on what truly matters and don't forget to make time for yourself.
xoxo
p.s. click below to get my healthy mama toolkit with a bunch of time saving recipes, meal prep ideas, home workouts, and more.
