Take a Minute for Yourself During the Holidays

The Holiday season is extremely stressful. As parents, we seem to try to outdo ourselves every year. From morning to night, we cram our days with holiday preparation and activities to make it perfect for our little ones.  When I get extra busy or stressed, I tend to be short with my kids and my temper is always on edge. Instead of showing the Christmas spirit, I end up acting like the Grinch.

While all of the running and preparing is totally important, it’s also important to take a moment for yourself. When momma is stressed, watch out!

I received samples and compensation in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

Here are a few ways to focus on yourself for a moment during the holidays…

Sleep

I know this one seems obvious, but if we actually look at how much sleep we are getting as adults, it will blow your mind. We know that kids that don’t get to bed on time are cranky and moody…well guess what? So are we! Take a minute and set yourself and actual bedtime. Set your goal for 7 hours. I participated in a weight loss challenge last year and one of the requirements was getting 7 hours of sleep each night. I found that this was the hardest, but once I set my mind to it, I found that I was able to accomplish more the next day because I wasn’t hitting a brick wall halfway through.

Party

You are going to get a ton of invites to holidays parties for just the adults. Instead of clicking “no” click “yes” and find a sitter. The Holidays is also about being with your friends and a night of laughing your head off and not worrying if the toddler is dumping punch on the rug will do wonders. Bring my favorite quick Guacamole Dip and you will have a stress free night of fun, laughing and de-stressing!

Music

The Holidays are also full of music! In fact, for me music is a critical part of the season. Find ways to include music in your day. Music will help you get through cleaning up a glass of cocoa, wrapping a million gifts and create happy memories with your children. Look around your local area for the tons of free concerts that are often offered. Take your spouse, or the whole family and listen to the beautiful music and really think about the Reason for the Season!

Exercise

But how will I fit it in? You just have to. Make plans to attend a weekly class, or set up a time for you and a friend to take a walk or a run. Take all your stress out on the exercise and your children and spouse will thank you. Since we all know that…

If you are anything like me, sometimes I need a little help to get the energy, sleep or even focus I need to get through the day. It can be hard to get started with exercise, but if you just get started it always leaves you with more energy in the end!

How do you take a minute for yourself during the holidays?