Finish Strong

As the year draws to a close, let’s stay calm and FINISH STRONG. For everyone, December is a busy, busy time of the year. There are parties, holidays gatherings, work deadlines, kids out of school, vacations and the New Year. What tools do you need to stay calm and focused instead of crazy and frenzy lol? Here are some suggestions:

Plan ahead. Keep a stash of last minute holiday gifts to avoid the stress of running out in the holiday madness. Examples:

Bottle of wine
Box of chocolates
A candle
Gift cards

2. Don't over commit. Learn to say no and set boundaries for yourself. Not every invitation needs to be a yes. Ask yourself:

Do I have to go to this?
Do I really want to go?
If I go, will I enjoy myself?
Have I set boundaries on how long you will stay?

3. Keep your daily routine. Whether its exercise, meditation, rest, sleep, or diet. Let’s not let time limit you from maintaining self-care. Consider these:

If you can’t get to the gym, then enjoy the beautiful weather by taking a quick morning or evening walk, you can even enjoy the holiday lights.
You can do a walking or standing meditation. Repeat the mantra “I am calm; I am energized” while waiting in a line or in traffic.
Enjoy listening to music. It can put you in a holiday mood, reduce anxiety and lower blood pressure.

4. Don’t over eat or drink too much. This can lead to feelings of lethargy, irritability, sleeplessness and regrets.

My own holidays seem to have started off a bit chaotic as I had numerous ankle injuries and was fitted with a boot two days before thanksgiving (and yes I was having 12 people over for dinner). Black Friday has always been an exciting shopping tradition for my daughters & I. We usually leave at dawn and return around 4pm, but this year had to look different. Did I want to go? Yes! Did I have to go? Yes! Otherwise my daughters would have been very disappointed. So I made a plan for what stores & what sales. We valet parked and I sat often and learned to take my time. To my surprise it ended up being a wonderful day. As I sat down around the mall to rest, I ran into people that I haven’t seen in a while and was able to catch up, I even met really nice sales people eager to assist us. The best part, was an impromptu lunch with our best friends and their family. So as our shopping drew to an end as I hobbled to keep up with my daughters, my daughter Lily yelled across the mall “COME ON MOM, FINISH STRONG!!”.

So here’s to chaos turning to calm! As usual I enjoyed Black Friday shopping with my loved ones, and YES I FINISHED STRONG.

Here’s to you FINISHING STRONG and enjoying your holidays!