The Holiday Season tends to come with some stress. From event planning, decorating, learning how to make a pumpkin spice latte, cooking, work events, to shopping for; Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas/ Hanukkah gifts, etc etc.

 It’s easy to get caught up in all the things that need to get done. However, it is essential to remember to take a breath and take care of yourself! Here are 5 tips on how-to self care.

Self Care is NOT Selfish! Make sure you are listening to your mind and body…

#1- Getting enough sleep is essential. For starters, let’s look at the benefits of sleep: improved mood, energy, performance, recovery… the list goes on. When we think of self-care, images of face masks and spa days often appear in our minds, but self-care is truly anything that benefits the mind and body. And, it starts with one thing: sleep.

#2- Meditate: Self-reflection, Rest and Relaxation. Take some time to meditate, reflect and relax! Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. You can also use it to relax and cope with stress by refocusing your attention on something calming.

The emotional and physical benefits of meditation can include:

• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations

• Building skills to manage your stress

• Increasing self-awareness

• Focusing on the present

• Reducing negative emotions

• Increasing imagination and creativity

• Increasing patience and tolerance

• Lowering resting blood pressure

• Improving sleep quality

#3 Let’s get Physical- You can Try that new yoga class, go for a walk, or have a dance party. Move for at least 30 minutes a day. Research shows that as little as 30 minutes of exercise per day can boost our general health and well-being. What are some other benefits of getting in half an hour of exercise every day?

• Heart health

• Weight loss

• Reduce stress

• Improve self confidence

• Mood booster

• Energy burst

• Improve memory

#4 Detox from technology- Taking a break from technology not only frees up time, but has real mental health benefits. Learn the best ways to do it. Benefits of taking a technology timeout include: 

• More control of your time

• Better social interactions

• Less stress

• Sharper focus

#5 Finally- Take a moment to do things that make you feel good!

Stop and smell the coffee- sometimes literally. Take the extra long shower and sing that “one more song”. Take that extra sip of wine. More often than not, bliss is enjoying the little things!