December is here! And all I can do is stare at my calendar and have a sense of overwhelm creep over me as my schedule is FULLY booked right up until Christmas. As special as the holidays are, a sense of obligation can sometimes take over the meaningful memories we should be making. I am back and forth from Kitchener a few times over the next few weeks and have Christmas parties and hangouts before Christmas even arrives! As much as I am excited to spend time with my family and friends, I am just taking it day-by-day to avoid that initial overwhelm I’ve been feeling so far.

I find that during the holidays we say yes to everything and everyone because we want to do it all. That ends up meaning that most days, weekdays and weekends alike, are booked with social gatherings after the regular work day is done. It also typically leads to us probably not maintaining our regular routine of sleep, movement, and nutrition either.

This year, instead of neglecting myself and my own personal routine as we approach the holidays, I decided to start my own unofficial 24 days of self-care challenge leading up to Christmas. Each day I will pick one thing that I am doing to take care of myself. It may be a workout, extra sleep one night, time spent with family and friends, or reading my current book.

I am hopeful that if I can stick to my plan of dedicating even a few minutes each day for myself I will enjoy the company of my friends and family more and feel energized during the holidays this season.

I’d love for you to join me! Each day I will share what I am doing to practice self-care leading up to the holidays on social media. Today I slept in and made myself a pancake breakfast. Tomorrow I plan to do a 20-minute Pilates workout. Stay tuned on Instagram!

Yours in self-discovery,

Rachel

24 Days of Self-Care