Be Kind To Yourself

With all of the holiday festivities right around the corner, it's easy to get stressed out and over-indulge. I'm here to remind you to be kind to yourself during this busy season. Between family gatherings, holiday parties, and finding just the right gifts for your loved ones, we must remember to take time for ourselves to practice self-love.There are lots of ways to show kindness towards yourself during the holidays. One of my secrets to surviving typical holiday stress is being extra aware of my body’s needs. After all, your body is the vessel that carries you through every season of life. When we go through a season of high stress, our bodies take a serious toll if we aren’t mindful of how we treat them.But How?You can be kind to yourself by being aware of what you feed your body. This time of year is notorious for serving up some of the best comfort food you’ll have all year. We dream of Thanksgiving feasts and holiday treats all year long and when the time is near, it becomes increasingly difficult to refrain from indulging. I recommend choosing a strategy to avoid regrets and then love yourself for choosing what works best for you.Love Your Body & Feed It TooFor some, this means embracing this as the time of year to indulge with family and friends. If this is you, make a pledge to remove all negative-self talk from your vocabulary. If you catch yourself thinking destructive thoughts about your body, try replacing those thoughts with all of the things your body is capable of instead. Think of the journey your body has carried you through this year and be proud of yourself. Replace negative thoughts with gratitude for the loved ones you get to spend time with around the dinner table.If you choose to practice discipline throughout this holiday season, stay strong! The key is keeping your eyes on the prize and planning ahead. Remind yourself to not serve your body anything that won’t serve your mind too. If you have events that you’re worried won’t have anything for you to eat at, eat a little before or contact the host and offer to bring something healthy if they won’t have any options you feel good about.Beauty Rest & Beauty DrinkRemember to take care of your beautiful self by staying well rested and well hydrated too. A good night of sleep keeps your brain high-functioning throughout the day and helps lower stress levels. Drinking at least 60 ounces of water every day will keep your skin clear and help balance out any of that holiday drinking you have on your agenda.Keep It Moving!Also, make time to keep your body moving through the holidays! It’s difficult to find the motivation to get out and exercise as temperatures continue to drop, but finding ways to stay active will help manage stress levels and keep you loving the body you have. Take stairs instead of the elevator. Ditch the keys and walk to lunch. Park in the back of the parking lot when you’re doing all of your shopping. These changes are easy to incorporate in your busy schedule and will go a long way.All the little things we consciously decide to do in honor of our physical needs adds up. By practicing body mindfulness, it allows us to have the extra energy we need to truly appreciate the time we have with our friends and family. These are the moments we cherish the most. Be kind to the body that has got you through the year and get excited for where it will take you next!