12. A Gift for you: Five simple and free ways to practice self care during the holidays

A New Life Story: Consciously Uncovering Your Authentic Self

This episode is all about giving yourself a gift for the holidays and everyday - the gift of Self-Care. I outline five simple, yet free ways you can practice self-care including:

Meditation - Helps you gain a new perspective during stressful situations. The practice of focused concentration, that brings you back to the present moment. Many times our thoughts are racing and we experience stress and anxiety during the holidays because our minds are in the past or worried about the future. Meditation allows us time and space to center on the present moment. I shared several benefits of meditation and different types of meditation.

Research Based Benefits of Meditation

• Gain a new perspective on stressful situations

• Increases self-awareness

• Increases patience and tolerance

• Lowers your resting heart rate

• Lowers your resting blood pressure

Breathwork - Focused and intentional breathing helps relieve stress and increases mental clarity. Breathwork involves deep, even-paced breathing using the diaphragm muscle to expand your lungs. Breathwork helps you slow your breathing, take in more oxygen, so you can relax. One easy-to-follow breathwork exercise I use is Box Breath or 4-4-4 Breathing. You inhale to the count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4 and then repeat. This slows you down and helps you recenter.

Slow stretching or yoga - Slow stretches or yoga stretches can also help you relax. It also supports heart health and helps release trapped emotions when you hold the poses longer.

Walking (or other exercise) - Incorporating walking as a regular part of their routine helps regulate your nervous system and improves your mental health. You can do it indoors or outdoors anywhere for as little as 10 minutes.

Journaling - Journaling is a simple and free activity that has a tremendous Return on the Investment of your mental, emotional and physical health. Research shows that spending 15-20 minutes a day expressing yourself through written thought has the power to reduce depression and anxiety. Instead of allowing your thoughts to ruminate in your mind, journaling allows you to engage with your thoughts to examine what is FACT and TRUTH.

Here are a few prompts to help get you started:

I’m Grateful For …

Today I release my ruminating thoughts about …

My wins for this year were …

Remember, self-care is a practice. Try incorporating one practice in your life and build on it. Keep practicing. Keep showing up for yourself. Caring for YOU is important.

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