It’s such a busy time of year that we can forget about tending to ourselves altogether.
But what would it look like if you did it differently this year, and decided to take exquisite care of yourself?
It’s something we all mean to do more of, isn’t it? Self-care, relaxation, putting ourselves first, making time for and pampering ourselves.
Sometimes we do this as a treat or a reward for something, once we get to the end of whatever else we’re doing.
But it’s often out of the ordinary rather than a daily way of life.
This is totally understandable when our schedules are busier than ever, and when unconsciously we don’t believe we’re worth this level of attention and self-care. We feel guilty for putting ourselves first, and having a break when there is so much to do, and so many other people to think about. We feel compelled to keep ploughing on with our to do lists, thinking we’ll feel satisfied with the progress we’ve made and that we can relax later.
But often the time for this seems to shrink.
We never seem to quite get around to it; it gets pushed to the bottom of the never ending to do list, and we block ourselves from receiving.
But what if you really could give yourself the gift of taking exquisite care of yourself, alongside whatever else you’re doing?
What would that look like for you?
Putting yourself first, prioritizing yourself, putting yourself and some self-care at the top of your to do list. Putting it on your calendar as a non-negotiable.
What would you want to include?
What would make it really magical, joyful and indulgent? What would make it really fun?
How would you treat yourself on a daily basis, if you truly loved and adored yourself? If you saw how precious you really were.
What is your body and soul crying out for right now?
What attention and nourishment does it need?
How can you make sure you stop to breathe and give this to yourself?
We all get to decide how much we prioritize this in our lives, no matter how many other commitments we’ve got.
We get to decide what we’re worth and how we’re going to treat ourselves.
Nothing or nobody else is responsible for how worthy we feel, and for how much value we place on ourselves.
We can practice allowing ourselves to receive more and more of the good stuff, and to increase our tolerance for wellbeing.
We can decide that no matter what is happening we’ll be exceptionally kind to ourselves.
And where will this take us?
Well, we’ll be well rested, we’ll be energized, we’ll have so much more to give, and we’ll be so much nicer to be around.
We’ll be much less likely to become ill, just as we get to the point of being able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of our efforts!
We’ll laugh and we’ll be able to relax, even if there are still things we didn’t get around to finishing off. It’ll matter less. We won’t care, because we’ll be enjoying ourselves and those around us. We’ll be in the moment, remembering what’s important.
We won’t look to other people to make us feel a certain way. To think of and prioritize us, and to ease our load, when we could be doing this for ourselves.
We won’t be snappy, irritable and exhausted, and we won’t look to the world to give us what we need.
We will smile knowing we can give it all to ourselves.
So give yourself a break, cut yourself some slack, and remember that you’re worth your own love and attention this Christmas 🙂
With love,
Kelly x