Shoes!
Don’t you just love this time of the year? Everyone is in a festive mood, catching up with old friends and making new ones. It seems like there is something to do almost every night! I was at a gathering on Sunday and met a woman that was sitting down amidst all the people that were standing When the people that were talking to her walked off, I asked her if she was holding court. We laughed and she said, “girl, these shoes are killing my feet and I have to sit down.” I looked down at her gorgeous black stilettos and could see why she was sitting immediately.
Just as there are a variety of shoes that people like to wear to parties, there are a variety of ways to take care of yourself during the holiday season. Here is my top 10 list of ways to take care of yourself and raise your Joy Factor:
1. Be comfortable-not just in what you wear, also in who you are being. Be authentic and real.
2. Everything in moderation! You all know how much I love to eat. If I had to deny myself of anything, I would not be happy. My rule of thumb is the sweets that I eat this time of year have to be home made-yum!
3. Take time for you-even if it is 30 minutes a day, find the time to take a walk, go to the gym, meditate or stretch-you are so worth it!
4. Acknowledge yourself for all that you have done today, rather than all that you need to do–what a concept!
5. Remember your gratitude attitude!
6. Choose joy–get that scarf out!
7. Do a random act of kindness. My favorite is to pay the toll on GA 400 for the car behind me.
8. Let go of your emotional baggage. If you are upset, scream in the car for a few minutes. If you are sad, go watch Seven Pounds with Will Smith. Move through the emotion-you will feel much better.
9. Do something that you have been procrastinating about. Call and make that dentist appointment or better yet, call your mother.
10. Wear comfortable shoes
If there is one thing that I know for sure about raising your Joy Factor, it’s that it is easier to do in comfortable shoes.
Take care of you this time of year. It will make you feel better than finding the best pair of comfortable shoes–on sale!
Wendy is a joyful, vibrant human being who sees possibilities everywhere she goes. Whether she is working with a coaching client, creating a piece of art or riding her bicycle 100 miles in one day, the joy of possibility is one of her favorite perspectives. Alot of her joy comes from spending time with her husband Matt and their 2 four-legged kids, Abbey Road and Eli. It also comes from listening to good music, spending time in nature, eating good food and being with friends and family. When all of that happens together, she is in joyful bliss.
Thanks for the great Top 10. To piggy back on that “random act of kindness,” consider spending your time with people less fortunate than you. Visit a nursing home or assisted living facility, feed the homeless through many of the already organized charities, adopt a family in need, simply get outside yourself and the excesses that can be the holidays and make another person happy.