Hello, fellow playmates!
I can’t believe that we are looking the end of 2023 in the eye. December, already? Where does the time go? The worst part is that I just started remembering the year when I have to write a date…
This is a season that brings stress to many of us. We’ve just finished the Thanksgiving family gatherings that seldom go as well as we hope. Those who celebrate Christmas face the challenges that shopping, holiday parties, and the buying of gifts bring. While I enjoy walking through a store filled with Christmas music and feeling the joy that comes with a good rendition of Jingle Bells, I find much of the seasonal hubbub to be stressful. I want to give and receive the “perfect” gifts and am often disappointed when I give something that doesn’t bring the expected joy from a loved one or fail to get the one thing that I desperately wanted to receive. In addition to all of the typical daily responsibilities, I don’t know where in my schedule to add decorating, baking, and buying and wrapping gifts. I just want to relax but there isn’t time in the day to do it all.
Not only do the winter holidays add stress, Michigan is immersed in the grayness so common to our weather in the fall and winter. So how do we care for ourselves and others in the most effective way possible? It’s critical that we emphasize self-care during the fall and winter, not only for ourselves but for the clients for whom we care. My self-care list includes getting outside (hopefully with a new dog very soon!) even when the weather isn’t great, having a half hour to do something simply because I enjoy it each day, and spending time with one of my friends every week. What’s on your list?
Wishing those who celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza happy holidays and to all, a Happy New Year!
Playfully,
Diana
Diana Steketee, LLP, Registered Play Therapist™
President, MIAPT 2023-2024
