Island Senior: Self-Care for the Holidays

“Island Senior” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae…

Jedi on the Christmas Tree – photo Peggy Sue McRae

Here come the holidays! It’s a time to connect with the people that we love. It’s whirl of sparkling activities and time-honored traditions that can bring with it the stress of keeping up with our social calendars.

Plus Covid. This plague is not finished with us yet. In spite of readily available vaccines, cases are spiking across the country and right here in San Juan County. This ongoing threat adds a significant layer of stress to holiday gatherings and travel.

The holidays are often a mixed bag. Holidays can trigger grief when someone is missing from the family circle. Taking time for self-care can help us fend off exhaustion and mitigate the pressure of expectations – both our own, and other peoples expectations of us. Here are a few suggestions to bring some calm into this special time of year.

Be Honest with yourself and your loved ones in terms of what you can realistically accomplish. Don’t spend money you don’t have. If spiking Covid cases have you rethinking travel plans, don’t go if it doesn’t feel safe.

Make Choices because you don’t have to do everything. Touching base with friends and family doesn’t have to be extravagant. Suggest taking a walk together or sharing a quiet cup of cheer. Making cookies and watching Christmas movies is something you can do in your pajamas. Keep it simple.

Express Gratitude recalling and identifying our many blessings tips our perspective toward the positive. If you are a senior living on San Juan Island there are two right there. 1. You’ve made it successfully through life long enough to become a senior and 2. We live in an incredibly beautiful place. 

Honor Your Spiritual Tradition whether you are Christian, Pagan, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, or Jedi… after the darkest night the sun returns. Light a candle, say a prayer, or mark with song the passing of another year and the reliability of the returning light. 

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