It’s officially the holiday season, 2020 is just around the corner, and time seems to be moving very quickly! When life gets busier, one of the first things to drop off is taking care of ourselves, ironically, when we need it most, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, you’re definitely not alone.

As a coach, I talk a lot about healthy habits and how to reinforce them, but since implementing habits takes focus and effort, we’re not going to add that to an already over-full plate.

This is more like self care triage - you can prioritize the most urgent, most impactful small actions, and even a mini version of a healthy habit will replenish your energy. If you haven’t been doing any of these things much, no worries, starting where you are right now is perfect!

Here are 5 quick and easy actions that are easy to do even when your normal routine is disrupted: 

What’s good? 

I’ve found that I’m always delighted by hearing about what people love, which is why I always love the Wonderful podcast, the end of Pop Culture Happy Hour when they talk about “what’s making me happy this week”, and the end of every Good Place podcast when Marc Evan Jackson asks, “What’s good?”

Focusing on what’s good and what lights us up is always contagious, and even when the only one hearing it is you, the impact on your mood will have a ripple effect into your actions and interactions with others. 

You can also reframe this as a gratitude practice, which doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just listing a few things will probably turn into 10, and then you’ll feel your mood shifting. I also really like this holiday gratitude exercise from musician career coach Angela Myles Beeching.

Drink more water

Yeah, I know, this one is basic, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to do! The more you can make drinking water a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing, the better: 

• Set reminders to bring your water bottle (or herbal tea counts, too)

• Use the Plant Nanny app to track your daily water goal - each time you drink a glass, you water the plant in the game. Is it silly to gamify drinking water? Maybe, but I don’t care, because it works! I’m still amazed at how my energy and mood improve within minutes of hydrating. 

Bonus: Spread your beverage efforts to the realm of food, and carve out a little time on the weekend to prep or buy nutrient-dense snacks for the week, so you’re never left hangry. 

Exercise / move your body

In case you have an aversion to the word “exercise”, I’m saying “move your body”, and that can mean so many different things. This is one that many of us really feel like we don’t have time for, but I feel like I don’t have time *not* to exercise, because it improves my mental clarity so much and helps me get things done faster. 

I’ve read about a study that even 7 minutes of exercise is enough to light up your brain activity (in stark contrast to sitting), so if you’re feeling sluggish and distracted, instead of reaching for your phone, try taking a break for a 7 minute walk (or solo dance party, if you work at home!) Often my daily walk is only 20 minutes, but is still incredibly energizing, and is the single most important habit I have, since it affects my whole day. 

It’s 2019, there are endless numbers of free workout videos, yoga videos, etc. on YouTube, so winter doesn’t have to hold you back. Just move, any way you can!

Rest

Rest can be very hard to prioritize during the holiday season, since there tend to be more social commitments, and for many of my clients, more work. Taking more breaks can go a long way, and there are many different ways to rest, in the physical, mental, or emotional realms: 

• Sleep

• Lying down to close your eyes without sleeping

• Meditation

• Restorative yoga

• Taking a break from focused thinking - try staring out the window or at the wall for a few minutes!

• Taking a break from social media - our brains aren’t built to take in so much input at once (yes, I realize the irony of posting this on social media)

• Taking a break from visual input in general, on screens, or in real life

• Taking a break from overstimulating social situations (but hanging out with a friend who understands your soul can also be rest, since it’s replenishing - you decide what feels best to you in the moment)

• Avoiding people whose energy feels negative to you 

• Lifting your own (unrealistic) expectations or letting go of caring about others’ perceived expectations

You definitely don’t have to do all of these to feel rested - a small amount of any one of them could be very rejuvenating, 

Self compassion

This sounds like a more abstract one, but when it comes down to it, self compassion is just being nice to yourself. If you notice yourself having a mean, self-critical thought, try turning that thought into a positive one. Even if you don’t believe it in the moment, it still helps. Or, if you’re new to practicing self compassion, and that seems like too much, just question the negative thought and ask, “Is this true?” Every time you do either of those things, you’re helping make the self-criticism less automatic, which can completely change your habitual thoughts over time. 

I find it really helpful to give myself some grace during the holiday season if I’m not able to accomplish as much as normal - you don’t have to beat yourself up over what you do or don’t accomplish! Also, one of my favorite resources is Dr. Kristin Neff, who has sets of free self compassion meditations and exercises on her website, and the meditations are also in the free Insight Timer meditation app. Her voice is very kind and calming, and the shortest of the meditations is only 5 minutes, very easy to fit into a busy day! 

Think of this blog post like a menu, not a checklist - you can order whatever sounds good to you, and taking any little action will have more of an impact than you think.

ANY IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN NONE!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed lately, and need support around self care and managing your creative energy, my Creative Wellness Letters are full of tangible tips and encouragement - sign up below!

What’s your favorite quick way to boost your energy in the midst of busy times? Feel free to share in the comments!