The holiday season often brings joy along with increased stress. This year, consider giving yourself the gift of radical self-care to cultivate sustainable happiness.
What is Radical Self-Care?
Radical self-care is the deep, intentional practice of caring for your whole self – body, mind, emotions, and spirit. It goes beyond everyday self-care to address the root causes of dissatisfaction and turmoil.
Radical self-care can be broken down into three pillars – awareness, acceptance, and agency.
Pillar 1: Awareness
Start by becoming more self-aware. Explore your beliefs, values, desires, fears, and unresolved emotions. This helps uncover the underlying causes of stress so you can start addressing them. Clarify your expectations for yourself and others during the holidays. Get realistic about what’s possible this year given your circumstances.
Pillar 2: Acceptance
Practice deeply accepting yourself and your situation. Radical self-care encourages transformational acceptance – seeing things clearly and leaning into your power to choose your response. Address any emotional wounds or trauma that may surface during the holidays. Challenge limiting beliefs that hinder growth.
Pillar 3: Agency
Own your power to choose how to approach this season. Set firm boundaries with yourself and others. Give yourself permission to feel and process grief over losses and changes. Instead of absorbing others’ expectations, decide how you want to think and show up.
Take a Holistic Approach
Care for all aspects of yourself – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Give yourself time to pause and reflect. Make self-love a priority. As you care for your mind, body, and soul in this way, you are much more capable of creating the holiday experience that you desire.
Key Takeaways:
- Uncover and address the root causes of holiday stress
- Set realistic expectations for the season
- Practice radical self-acceptance
- Set firm boundaries
- Give yourself permission to grieve losses
- Own your power to choose your experience
- Take a holistic approach to self-care
- Make self-care a priority
This holiday season, give yourself the gift of sustainable joy and peace. You have the agency to create the experience you want, starting with caring for your whole self deeply and radically.
