STOP!
Gather your thoughts. Today’s goal is to stop, take a step back, and really look at what our goals are for the month of December, the holidays, and the end of 2018.
Make lists for yourself (as well as your family). Really identify every event you’ve been asked to attend, events you’re interested in, gifts you’re considering buying, meals you’re considering making, etc. …and then write the “why” next to each “what.”
Go into the holiday season with a clear plan of what you want to focus on this month. Having a clear vision will help align your actions with your goals and family values. It can also help you say “yes” or “no” without guilt. There’s so much freedom in clarity.
Every day this month we are going to practice self care as well as rest. Take time to take care of you every day during December. Also take the time to honor your need for rest—even if it’s simply 15 minutes of unplugged time where you simply focus on the moment. Record your daily self care and rest.
Self Care:
Rest:
Self Care
We read about it briefly yesterday, but today we’re focusing on self care. You cannot pour from an empty cup…especially at holiday time.
Have a daily self care plan in place to take care of your needs during this busy time of year. Write about what that looks like for you. Get really clear on what you need to do for you to make sure you’re not running on empty.
Some examples: making time for coffee or tea every day, taking time to read for pleasure, eating healthy foods, completing your workout despite extra activities, taking a walk, etc. Record it each day.
Self Care:
Rest:
Honest Evaluation
Take a look at your lists from Day 1. Look at your intentions, gifts lists, to dos, events, etc. and answer the following questions:
How much of it comes from the heart? Is any of it about greed? How much is obligation? How much of it is peer pressure? How much of it is the influence of our society? How much of it is attainable? Does anything from your lists feel unrealistic? Is there anything you could cut out? Do you expect to do it all? How do you think everyone in your family would feel if you did all of it? None of it? Some of it? Do you feel your lists are flexible or could be? Do you have a plan in mind for when/if illness or exhaustion comes along?
What’s motivating your list? Are you happy with that motivation or would you like to shift it? Write about it.
Self Care:
Rest:
Outside Influence
There are a LOT of opinions floating around out there about how the holidays are “supposed” to be, what they are “supposed” to look like, and what your role is in all of it. Today’s goal is to take an honest look at how much we are or aren’t influenced by others when making our December decisions—everything from gift buying to events.
This influence on our expectations can also come from television shows, commercials, advertisements, store displays, books, social media, etc. Expanding on yesterday’s prompt:
Take an honest look at outside influences in your life. What effects does it have on you? Do you feel pressure to buy more? Do more? Decorate more? Spend more? Does it turn you off and make you want to do less? What about obligations? Do you make decisions about where to be and when based on other people’s “supposed to” requests? Write about it.
* Bonus: If you could throw all these outside influences to the wayside, what would your perfect December look like?
Self care:
Rest:
Budget & Spending
Do you have a budget in place for this month? If so, why? If not, why? Are you easily swayed by sales? How much of your holiday spending is budgeted and how much is impulse buying?
How do you feel about your answers to those questions? Would you like that to change? Observing ourselves is very powerful. Awareness is the first step.
Make mindful spending a goal. Be honest about what you can afford so that you don’t overextend your family and carry debt into the New Year.
*Bonus: Pear down your gift list to accommodate your budget.
Self Care:
Rest:
Sugar & December
Those two things seem to go hand and hand, right? Sugar has a HUGE influence on our body, mood, immune system, and overall well being. Are you aware of your daily sugar intake? Are you aware of your children’s daily sugar intake?
There is a cookie at every turn during the month of December. Sugar is everywhere. So much so that the massive amounts of candy, treats, and alcohol available has become part of standing jokes about the holidays.
What if you took an honest look this year at your sugar intake on a daily basis? What if we made more of an effort to balance out the excess sugar with limits and nourishing foods? What if we pointed this out to our children and encouraged them to take a healthy look at how many nourishing foods we’re putting into our bodies vs. how many treats and how this influences our health?
Write down your thoughts about sugar as it relates to your family. Having a goal in mind will make the daily temptations (multiple times a day!) easier to handle with less guilt so that treats can truly be treats.
Self Care:
Rest:
Stress Check
Each week this month we’ll do a “stress check” to see how we’re feeling, what progress we’re making, etc. So check in with yourself today.
How are you doing? How are your stress levels? Take the time to do an honest evaluation of how you’re feeling physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Write about it. Note whether you feel the need to make changes.
Self Care:
Rest: