Stressed out? Overwhelmed? Feeling a bit Crazy?

Holidays making you a little crazy??

Don't fret, there's hope! (Really) There's one week to go....here are a few tips that can help get you through the holidays without a visit from the men in white coats.

1. Breathe.......breathe in for 5 counts, hold for 5 counts and breathe out for 5 counts. Do this at least 3 times to keep oxygen in your body and to slow down!
2. Do at least one thing for yourself each day - call a friend, take a bath, meet a friend over coffee or glass of wine, have your kids or spouse rub your feet or give you a mini-massage. (I'm heading out soon to have lunch with my husband!)
   
3. Check your list and make sure you do the things you love to do and see which items you can forego this year, delegate to someone else, or streamline. (I don't bake, I'm not doing any outside lights this year and I may not get my cards out til New Years!)
4. Stop periodically to practice gratitude...notice the beauty around you, your friends, family, health, etc. Time passes too quickly, don't miss the goodies.
5. Remember-what you get done, you get done. Christmas will come whether you're ready or not.
   

The Grinch couldn't keep Christmas from coming, so who are we to question little Cindy Lew Who, "the best gift isn't from the store or under the tree, it's enjoying the important people in your life!"

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

BTW-give yourself something to look forward to AFTER the holidays: De-stress, relax and get energized for great things in 2010! Register for my retreat! Go to link: Women's Retreat for more info. or to register!

The Ultimate Cure-The Ultimate Self-Care

"There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure,
but I don't know many of them."
-- Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

I love this quote, but for some reason I’ve never written about it. I’d look at it, ponder about it, then move on to something else. Promoting a hot bath as the ultimate cure of anything seemed a little too decadent or too simple or something.

It’s strange because, here I am, a proclaimed “self-care specialist” and I’ve avoided writing about one of life’s greatest pleasures, a hot bath. What’s THAT all about? Hot baths have been around for a very long time. It’s a fabulous, yet inexpensive way to practice self-care.

Remember the old Calgon commercials? For those of you who are a bit younger than me, it featured a woman escaping into a hot bubble bath with the phrase, “Calgon, take me away!”
How many times do you see someone soaking in a bubble bath surrounded with candles, listening to music and savoring the moment….not in person perhaps (!), but on TV, in the movies, etc.

I would guess that we think about doing it for ourselves many more times than we actually do it. I know lots of people that were so excited to put a spa tub in their new bathroom anticipating long luxurious baths and then later report they hardly use it!

Is that you? If it’s not a hot bath you put off, maybe it’s scheduling a massage or coffee with a friend or any number of fabulous self-care activities.

So what gets in the way of you taking the steps to take care of yourself? Do you, like me, think it’s too decadent or too easy of a solution? How often do you think about how great it would be to pamper yourself a little bit, but there’s just one more thing to get done, one more chore, one more project one more phone call.

What makes you think that your self-care belongs on the bottom of your priority list? I challenge you to move your self-care up the list. You deserve it. As Stuart Smalley says, “You’re good enough, you’re smart enough and gosh darn it, people like you!!”

Be your own best friend and tell yourself that it’s time to allow some regular self-care in your life. Put it on your schedule and do it!! Let me know what self-care activities you plan to include in the next few days.

This is your life……make every day a spa day!

Busy Person's Meditation

We all know that meditation is good for the soul...wouldn't it be great to have even 30 minutes a day to relax and meditate? 30 minutes? Sure, in all your free time.

There is, however, a way to get some meditative time in when your day is too full (like always) and you don't have the time to take a real break for yourself. I know some days it's hard to find time to go to the bathroom!!

So this is what I call the busy person's meditation. Give it a try.

• Choose one task that you do on a regular basis…..fold clothes, sweep floors, wash dishes, dust, cook-whatever you can think of.
• Do it as mindfully as you can.
  

Years ago, my personal coach suggested this to me and the task I chose was sweeping the floors. I have all hardwood or tile floors, 1 spouse, 2 kids, 2 cats and a dog in my house. I’m sweeping at least once a day. And like you, while it’s a goal of mine, I don’t have time to sit down for 15 minutes each day to meditate or relax.

So here’s how it works for me: As I’m sweeping, I really pay attention to my body. I consciously breathe more deeply and slow down; I listen to the sounds of the bristles against the floor; I notice the way the broom handle rests in the palms of my hands; I feel the subtle change in the muscles in my back and arms; I notice and appreciate the results of my efforts. I look around and notice things I love all around me-I really make an effort to be mindful of the moment. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy sweeping my floors! And for those who know my feelings about housework, that’s HUGE!

The other part of this exercise that’s so great is that it’s possible to have mindful and relaxed periods of time in the midst of all the normal craziness in my house. The kids might be watching TV, playing music or even arguing about something, but I’m not all bent out of shape. I’m more patient and I’m not worrying about the next thing on my “to do” list. (Now if I could just stop sweeping!)

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!