Holiday Wellness
I’ve been thinking about the opportunity that the winter holidays bring for us to focus on our wellness. Sometimes the season brings extra time with our family and friends, which allows us to focus on our relational and social wellbeing. However, sometimes the holidays bring extra stress that comes from pressure we put on ourselves to travel, meet the needs of different family members and attend lots of extra fun, but sometimes taxing events. This year, why not take a moment or two to focus on just one area of wellness that you would like to pay attention to. Do you need some spiritual refreshment? What has brought you spiritual wellness in the past? What about your physical wellness? Does that mean trying that yoga class you’ve been meaning to check out or just getting some extra rest? Wellness means different things to different people. I invite you to think for a few moments about your views of physical, spiritual, relational, intellectual and emotional wellness. Reflect on your best hopes for each area this holiday season and then pick one or two areas to engage with more deeply. Try and envision the small steps you could take toward achieving optimal wellness in those particular areas. See if this opportunity to make incremental changes toward growth in those areas leads to a better sense of overall wellness this holiday season. Wishing you well this holiday season!
Taylor Yates, PhD, LCSW
