Get a running start back to yourSELF in 2023.
Join me and other like-minded post-career (or soon-to-be) for a 1-Day Retreat/Workshop, December 1, 2022.
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5-Steps to a Zen Holiday
or... How Not To Drown In Jolliness.
Holidays, in the best of times, can bring pressure and stress and test the strongest of us.
If you’re already struggling, feeling lost and disconnected, these next two months can be especially difficult - unless you watch yourSELF and do things differently.
Recalibrate:
...to change the way you do or think about something.
(Cambridge Dictionary)
Here are 5-things you can do that will help.
01 - What Matters Most
Life is frenetic. Leaving your career doesn't mean your to-do list goes away - probably just the opposite.
Being retired doesn't mean your time management skills or managing boundaries improve - again probably just the opposite.
And, with the holiday season come even more chores - whether voluntary or obligatory.
At the end of the day you fall into bed, exhausted, and stressed about all you left undone.
TIP:
What you focus on you become and becomes you.
DO:
Before your feet hit the floor in the morning take a big breath and think about the things that matter most to you.
Why? Priority and Perspective.
If the world stopped at noon today, what on your list would you want to be sure you accomplished by 11:59?
Do that first. ...Priority
What, your answer wasn’t on the list? ...Perspective.
02 - Check-in With yourSELF
Saying “no” can be a real struggle at any time.
During the holiday season, saying “no” to friends and family can be laden with even more guilt and emotional baggage. (Referencing “voluntary and obligatory” chores, noted above in #1)
Taking on obligatory chores, accepting "less than" or otherwise sacrificing your comfort, convenience, and well-being for the comfort, convenience, and well-being of others will eventually wear you down.
TIP:
Stay in tune with your emotional bandwidth.
DO:
Notice those feelings in your gut. Do NOT dismiss them.
When someone asks something of you or makes a suggestion or makes an offhand comment that doesn’t sit well - PAY ATTENTION.
Reading this document is evidence that you take responsibility for yourSELF and how you want to enjoy the Holidays. Acknowledge your internal compass and intuition.
Allow others the same opportunity to learn and grow by NOT accepting their shit - with kindness and compassion of course...
03 - It's Your Holiday, Too
No matter how hectic, stressed, or overwhelmed you might feel, do NOT discount the importance of making self-kindness a priority.
TIP:
Make time EVERY DAY for yourSELF.
DO:
Whether it’s a walk around the block, a solo trip to Starbucks for a latte, or a bubble bath ... take time, EVERY DAY if possible, to allow yourSELF time to breathe and settle.
Self-care, no matter how simple, can similarly help bolster your emotional bandwidth for the day ahead.
Do NOT discount the importance of balance.
04 - Care for Your Person
Maintaining a sense of calm and emotional balance isn't only inner care. The physical you feeds the inner you.
Yeah, yeah... you know the drill. - eat healthy, balanced meals; limit alcohol intake; get enough water, sleep, physical exercise, and fun
(Yes. Fun.).
TIP:
You know it. Do it. Quit making excuses.
DO:
Whether it’s a walk around the block, a solo trip to Starbucks for a latte, or a bubble bath ... take time, EVERY DAY if possible, to let yourSELF breathe and settle.
- Say "Yes" to the invitation to dance.
- Say "I do NOT need to check Facebook" and turn off the light.
- Say "No" to the third helping of pie (or glass of wine - or, at least put 30 minutes and a glass of water between glasses.)
Self-care, no matter how simple, can similarly help bolster your emotional bandwidth for the day ahead.
Do NOT
discount the mind-body connection.
05 - Choose Your Company Well
Yes, you may have to spend time with negative, unsupportive, and even unkind people over the next couple of months.
Holidays can be fun like that. Prepare and bolster yourself.
TIP:
Spend time with people who share your light.
DO:
Spend time with people who light you up, who inspire you, and who accept you as YOU. If you know these women personally or if these are women you admire from afar - they are equally important.
In-person would be great, yes.
However, many of us don't have a supportive community close by. I can relate. That's why staying connected virtually or through the written word is so important.
That's a big purpose for BOLD-Women. (Join us!)
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