Why Giving To Yourself During the Holidays Is Totally OK | Selina Almodovar

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Confession Time:  I absolutely love shopping for myself during the holidays!

Is that wrong?
Sometimes I feel like it is because I think that I should be spending all of my time and money on others.  Isn’t that what the holiday season is all about anyway?  ‘Tis better to give than to receive?

For years, I had a problem with this.  And it was not just a seasonal problem, either.  It was a problem that stuck with me all year round.

I never felt good for treating myself during the holidays because I always felt that someone else should receive good treatment instead.

I’m sure moms, nurses, and teachers know exactly what I mean.  As a new mom of two amazingly awesome boys, I now know what I mean.  At the end of the day, you want the best for everyone else.  The sad truth is that we tend to leave our own tender self-love and care behind. Your self-care should not serve as a sacrifice in order to serve and care for others.
This is not a healthy thing. Think about it, during the holidays, we are so busy shopping for others, visiting others, cooking for others…basically serving others.  Don’t get me wrong, serving others is a really good thing.
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But what happens when you are constantly serving, serving, serving, without giving your mind, body, and spirit the rest, love, and attention that it needs?

There’s a crash.  All you need is one over-baked pie to send you on a roaring rampage of fits and bits of extreme exhaustion and overwhelming anxiety!  All of a sudden, you can’t stand the holiday and your joy is gone.
Let’s do something about this…today.

Before you prepare your servant heart for another year of giving, cheering, and merry serving, consider YOU.

A healthy you is the greatest gift that anyone can receive during the holidays.  Take some time for yourself and rest or unwind before that family party.  The phrase, “It just has to get done” should not dictate your choice to take care of you.
Perhaps some retail therapy IS a good thing.  Maybe you DO make a batch of YOUR favorite cookies when you bake for everyone else.  Get a quick manicure for all those glitter-gatherings.  Lastly, do not be afraid to ask for the gift that will genuinely make you happy and be grateful for any gift you do, in fact, receive.
Is it wrong to give to yourself during the holiday season? Absolutely not. It’s only wrong if you choose to give to no one else. There’s a balance that’s established.

When you give to yourself, you fill up your joy tank to give unto others.  When you give unto others, you fill your gratitude tank to give back to yourself.

Serving others is a good feeling. Do not allow your lack of self-care to taint this.  Remember always that your greatest well-being will always, in turn, produce your greatest outcome.

What self-care act will you choose to practice this season?  Share in the comments below!


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