Hi! I’m Ruby, I am BradyCare’s social media wizard and also an animal professional for the last 10 years.
As an animal professional and communications specialist, it seems like the holiday season isn’t fast approaching- it’s barrelling towards me at a breakneck speed.
This December, I am desperately trying to fit in:
- My endless hours of work helping people, their animals, and my colleagues
- My communications work
- Trying to complete all work deadlines before the holidays
- Writing holiday cards
- Work holiday get-togethers and events
- Holiday events with my family
- Decorations, baking holiday cookies
- Making or getting holiday gifts
- Cleaning the home for guests
- Caring for my two senior, ginger cats (Marmalade is currently purring next to me as I type this)
I am already feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.
Consistently, I try to take care of my physical and mental health by exercising, knitting, and doing hobbies that make me happy or calm. But the holiday season adds an extra layer of stress to my life. It’s hard to find or create balance at this time of the year.
Additionally, although I love my family- being with them during the holidays can be stressful. My parents, aunts, and uncles are older and need a lot of extra help like ordering items online, hanging decorations, baking, and they’ve appointed me the chef for the holidays… Also, as they’re older, they’re half-deaf and/or have selective listening so sometimes it’s like talking to a grumpy brick wall that doesn’t respect boundaries.
On top of all of this, I have endometriosis, so if my stress levels get too high, I will have flare ups (a worsening of my symptoms), leaving me in immense pain and unable to work for several days.
So, for my physical and mental health, I booked a small weekend vacation away.
Banff
One of the many good things about living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is that I am only 1.5-2 hours away from the Rocky Mountains.
For the first day of my mini vacation, I took time to be still and do as little as possible.
- I sat by a fire at Banff Springs Hotel, writing my holiday cards and knitting while looking out the window at the snow-capped mountains.
- I went to my favourite stores such as the candy store (always a priority) and the Christmas store
- Walked around holiday markets and light displays
- Went to my favourite vegan restaurant
- Just sat in awe of the mountains
The second day, I booked a snowshoeing tour at Sunshine Meadows, an alpine meadow with epic views that took my breath away- if only there wasn’t a white-out (blizzard). It was like being in a magical winter wonderland as we had a fresh snowfall of over 1 metre.
Why am I sharing this?
I am sharing this very personal and honest experience with you today because at BradyCare, we aren’t just about helping people learn; we want to connect with you and build a global community of animal professionals who learn from each other, share knowledge, life experiences, and goals.
Maybe some of the things I wrote today also ring true with you and hopefully, you can find ways to prioritize your mental and physical health before the holidays so that you can reset and find a work-life balance and enjoy the festive season.
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