It’s the holiday season and that means presents, decorations, music, parties, and… burnout! While this time of year can come with an extra serving of cheer, it can also lead to feeling exhausted, depressed, or overburdened. For many people, this is the first normal holiday after the COVID pandemic’s peak in January of this year. And while we’re all grateful that things have resumed a degree of normalcy, it may feel a bit intimidating to resume the same degree of activity we had before. If you, like many others, enjoy this time of year but also struggle with feeling overwhelmed you may benefit from a little extra self-care.
While the term “self-care” was coined in the 1950’s, the idea’s explosion of popularity is more recent. Everywhere you look you can find references to bubble baths, naps, chocolate and extended Netflix sessions. It’s in magazines and news shows and your favorite bloggers have all dedicated a half dozen posts to the idea (Yes, we recognize the irony of posting that in our own blog). You can purchase self-care products ranging from journals and checklists to wine subscriptions and apparel. With the dizzying array of items available for purchase, we might be justified in being a little confused about what self-care actually means.
Although popular culture will sometimes seem to equate self-care with indulgence, the medical community takes the view that self-care is as simple as doing what you need to do to take care of yourself. And sure, sometimes a bubble bath goes a long way and can really help you maintain physical and mental well-being. But sometimes the cure for feeling run-down is skipping a party or going for a long walk. Sometimes it means making sure your meals are nutritionally balanced or ensuring that you prioritize preventative care like your annual check-up or your regularly scheduled dental cleaning. Be aware of what you really need, not just what you really want and make sure you take good care of yourself!
This year, give yourself the gift of taking the best care of your mind, body, and emotions that you can. Be compassionate to yourself if you need to say no to something or someone. We hope that you have a wonderful season no matter what that looks like for you.
From our Liberty Dentistry family, to all of our neighboring communities in North Carolina – we wish you a Merry Christmas!
