Creating Balance During the Holidays

The holiday season can be a stressful time for many reasons. Social calendars fill to the brim, there’s pressure to overspend on gifts, and often traveling can stress the body. Finding ways to incorporate self care into this stressful season can help us find balance.  

As a Leo and an introvert - the holiday season can sometimes be a trap for me. I want to go to every party and do all the things! However, I know that I need time alone to recharge and be my best brightest Lion self. Taking time at the beginning season to journal and set my priorities and boundaries really helps me when I need to make decisions later down the line, and all the ugly sweater parties sound tempting. The journal prompts I use are: 

• What was my favorite holiday memory last year? 
• What feelings would I most like to have this holiday season? 
• What are things I’m doing now that support these feelings?
• What am I most grateful for this season? 

​I also think it’s important to take this time to say, the holidays can be rough for reasons beyond a busy social calendar. For folks with difficult family connections, the holidays can be triggering for a number of reasons. The social pressures to spend time with people who may not support us or our lives can be a huge stress - to say the least. Remember, you deserve love and support at all times. You don’t have to spend time with folks you don’t want to - and if you choose to spend time with challenging folks, you aren’t doing anything “wrong” either. 

If you are going into a stressful situation, either around the holidays or any other time of year - I’d encourage you to make a self care plan before you go. Things like having a friend available to text or call if you need support (or just to vent!) carrying a grounding crystal or item in your pocket, or having a folder of photos on your phone to look at that are grounding, and setting a time to leave so your boundaries are clear with yourself and whomever you’re spending time with are some ideas! 

Here is my favorite nervine tea recipe for calming the nerves around the holidays:

1 part lavender 
1 part kava kava 
½ part skullcap 
½ part passion flower 
1-2 tablespoons rosepetal 
1-2 tablespoons mint (I like spearmint, but peppermint works too!) 

Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight lid. When you need a calming cup, combine steep 1-2 tablespoons in hot water for 5-7 min and sip and a few take deep breaths. 
 

​By Becky Barryte