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Happy Thanksgiving-eve, everyone! For all of my U.S. readers, I hope you have a great, delicious Thanksgiving. For all of my readers not celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope you have a great weekend, and we’ll be back to regular scheduled programming this Saturday! 🙂
As the holidays approach, I always notice I start to get a little antsy. I start to worry that I’m behind on buying presents, worried I won’t choose the right, most perfectly thoughtful gifts, and to top it off, I also worry I’m spending too much on the gifts I do buy.
Add holiday stress to wedding planning and regular work stresses, and you’ve got one stressed out Melissa! If you’re anything like me, you’ve likely got a whole list of things you need to do and not enough time to get it all done. In the worst case scenario, long-term stress can weaken your immune system and cause you to get pretty ill.
I learned this the hard way earlier this year, right after I got engaged and the weight of planning a wedding (while starting a new job, and trying to build my side business) really hit me. I hadn’t gotten the flu in years, but suddenly this past January I came down with a terrible case of the flu – and I had even gotten the flu shot!
I learned my lesson that self-care is critically important, year-round. Self-care routines can include meditation, spa time at home, or (one of my favorites) getting a regular massage. You can get different types of massage depending on your stress level, like Swedish (my favorite) and Deep Tissue (a little more intense).
Throughout the year, your body is constantly working for you: keeping you mentally alert, keeping you healthy and fighting off infections and stress. Personally, I get fairly regular massages because I can’t afford to get sick – while B has been helpful, he’s not as into planning this wedding as I am, and with 3 months to go, I definitely need to focus on regular recharging.
Of course, while we should never scrimp on our health, it is important to be budget conscious, so you don’t get more stressed about finances. Look for massage specials for new guests, holiday pricing, and more to fit it into your budget easier.
How do you take time for yourself throughout the year? What are your recharging strategies?