Though I’m writing this in December, when many of us are caught up in the craziness of 50 extra to-do items on top of everyday life to-do items, this is a tool that can be used at any time of the year when you’re feeling overwhelmed with unexpected stressors that pop up.
Listening to a meditation on my Calm app this week, I was reminded of the quote “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” This is such a good reminder that at any given time, life is probably not going to go the way we envisioned it, whether it’s a day, a week, a month or even your year (Friends anyone?) We all know that unforeseen things are going to happen that throw us out of our regularly scheduled program. Yet, most of us don’t expect it when it does happen–and we let it completely wreck whatever wellness routine we had going. To add insult to injury, we then beat ourselves up because we didn’t stick to the goals we’d set.
Self-Compassion
Cut yourself some slack! Be kind to YOU. And rather than try to get everything done “as usual,” decide on your priorities and let the rest go. When life is throwing you a curveball and you’re overwhelmed, I recommend choosing 2-3 must-do wellness action items. These should be things that are focused on YOU and make you feel your best!
Right now, here are my non-negotiables:
- 8 hours of sleep every night. For me, I’ve learned this is my bare minimum for sanity and feeling good. This means there are nights lately that I don’t get my evening TV time…but something’s gotta give, and TV is not a priority right now. The Mayo Clinic recommends at least 7 hours of sleep for adults to maintain physical and mental health.
- Starting each day with my protein smoothie. This way, no matter what holiday sweets I may encounter later, I know I’ve at least started my day with a good base of greens, fruit, protein, and healthy fats. Plus, having protein early on staves off cravings later in the day.
- Meditation every day. Even if it’s only 5 minutes, that’s 5 minutes of calm, breathing, and peace during a stressful time. The short meditation I listened to with the above quote is called “A Schedule/B Schedule” and compliments the ideas in my post. You can find it here.
What Are Your Non-Negotiables?
Think about what your must-do items should be right now. Some ideas could be workouts, sleep, reading, journaling, walks, baths, certain foods, meditation, one homemade meal a day, music, or your favorite hobby. The list really is endless, as long as you choose to focus on things that make you feel better so you can tackle the rest of your day. Again, these should not be household chores or family items that must get done. These are the ways you will take care of yourself in order to get the other must-do items checked off the list.
Once you’ve made sure your 2-3 priorities happen, then if anything else on your wellness to-do gets done, it’s icing on the gingerbread house!
I wish all of you a cozy, happy holiday season regardless of what/if you celebrate. Above all, take time to embrace the people and moments you encounter. As the Grinch learned, Christmas, holidays, or special moments will come without ribbons, they will come without tags, they will come without packages, boxes, or bags!
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