Practice Self-Care this Holiday Season

Thanksgiving has just passed, and for many of us, the holidays can be a difficult time. It's important to honor our feelings, our thoughts, any grief that might come up, and accept the fact that we are having feelings about the holiday or season. Those of us who suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) need to take special care in trying to get at least 15 minutes of sunlight per day. If that's impossible due to the cold, then a special broad-spectrum lamp to put up in your home may be a needed commodity--you're worth it!

It's important during this time, especially for those of us who have unpleasant or painful memories around the holidays, to replace those memories with new ones. Make a list of things that you used to enjoy before the painful memory occurred, or make a list of new traditions you might want to incorporate (for instance, in lieu of turkey or roast beef, take yourself and family out for the occasion). Whatever makes you feel at peace, content and even cared for, begin anew. There is nothing we can do about what happened, but we do have control moving forward. So make it happy, enjoyable, fun, uplifting--all the things you deserve!

Happy Holidays!