A Modern Day Guide to Therapeutic Lifestyle Design and Healing Chronic Stress from the Inside Out!
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area
Christina Pandolfo, MS, OTR/L, NC
thetherapeuticfoodie@gmail.com
A Modern Day Guide to Therapeutic Lifestyle Design and Healing Chronic Stress from the Inside Out!
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area
Christina Pandolfo, MS, OTR/L, NC
thetherapeuticfoodie@gmail.com
The Holidays are here, and no matter what you celebrate, hopefully you are enjoying yourself and having a stress-free and joyful time. Unfortunately, for many people, feeling frazzled and rushing around are a part of what some people call ‘holiday madness’. It doesn’t have to be this way! I want to share some of my favorite self-care principles to help you ground and nurture yourself in order to help reduce any holiday -related stress you may be experiencing. It is also a great foundation to build from to help set the stage for bringing a personalized self-care program into the new year.
1. Love Yourself
What does loving yourself have to do with self-care? Everything! When you love yourself you take better care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. When you love yourself and take better care of yourself, you have MORE love and energy to give to others. Loving yourself enough to take better care of yourself is the foundation for your self-care plan. When you focus on yourself more everyday you are choosing self-love; which means you are choosing to create a healthy life. If you don’t take care of yourself, who will?
2. Create a Self-Care Plan
How do you take care of yourself each day? The small daily things you can do each day will help to make a big impact over time. Creating a daily self-care plan or routine helps to set the tone for the day and allows you some time to focus on yourself and your health. If possible you can try to wake up a bit earlier than normal (like 15-20 minutes) to carve out some space to begin a nourishing self-care routine.
This can include:
A self-care routine at night can include calming activities such as:
3. Nourish Your Body
Yes, I know it’s the holidays, and sugary snacks and treats can be abundant. What if though, you can guarantee yourself at least one nourishing meal a day? My number one piece of advice for my new clients that are transitioning into a healthier lifestyle: eat breakfast. Eating increased protein at breakfast can help to keep you full and reduce cravings later in the day!
Here are a handful of examples of nutrient-dense breakfasts all along the whole foods spectrum (including some Paleo, Vegetarian and Vegan options):
(These are just a few examples of breakfasts you can have; I soon will be doing a post about nutrient-dense breakfasts!)
4. Balance Your Time
Saying ‘NO’ to certain people or invitations during the holidays can be an important and powerful part of self-care. Are you feeling overextended or overwhelmed with your holiday invites and activities? It is OK to politely refuse any invites or activities if deciding to go will create more stress for you. If you force yourself to go, you may just end up feeling overwhelmed and resentful!
Here are some other ideas besides saying “NO” to help you balance your time over the holidays:
Hope these self-care tips can help you experience less holiday – related stress this season!
As I wrap up this post, I have just one question. What can you do to take care of yourself today?