The holiday season is once again upon us! It is important to embrace the joy of the holidays without added stress. Never fear! I’ve got some easy-to-implement tips to help keep you stress-free, guilt-free, and extra-weight-free. Let’s make this festive time truly joyful!
There are so many extra activities during the holiday season. Be it shopping, parties, or out-of-town guests, it can be overwhelming! It’s important to sit down to look at the calendar for the coming weeks. As much as you might want to, you simply cannot do everything! Pick out the things that are non-optional first, then fill in accordingly after that. Remember that the holiday season is for enjoying family and friends. That might mean foregoing some things in order to enjoy others, and that is totally okay!
In order to enjoy all of the holiday goodies, we need to have a plan of action in place. Say you have a party coming up where you will be enjoying a delectable spread. The day before, the day of, and maybe even the day after, you should watch the amount of starchy carbs and sugar in your daily diet. You want to focus more on eating lean protein, green vegetables, and some fruit and nuts to keep your body happy & healthy.
I know you’ve heard this before, but drink A LOT of water! That means each and every day you should be drinking your body weight in ounces of water. Before going to an event, drink a large glass or bottle of water. This will fill up your stomach and help to curb your appetite. Drinking extra water supports our bodies in naturally detoxing all the “extra” stuff (calories, carbs, & sugars) and can even help protect us from getting sick.
If you are like me, you love food, especially around the holidays when there seems to be so many extra yummy things. We want to try it all, so when you are at a party or buffet, make a sample plate with just a bite of all the goodness. If you are still hungry, you can always go back and get another small spoonful of those dishes that you liked best.
Along with all the luscious food options around the holidays, there are also all sorts of fun cocktails and coffee drinks popping up everywhere. They might even be more tempting because you can just grab one on the go. The thing is, these are often quite high in calories and sugar. Whenever you can, try to choose one with fewer calories. Or make some substitutions to help cut back on the unhealthy stuff without having to give up the festive flavors.
Keep moving! That’s it. That’s the tip. Exercise has so many positive benefits on not only your physical health but your mental health, too. It can help boost your mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and help you sleep better. It can even help alleviate feelings of social withdrawal. Find ways to add just 5-10 minutes of extra movement into your days, like taking more stairs or parking a little further away from stores for extra steps.
This last one is so important – make sure you are getting enough rest! Sleep is essential to allow your body and mind to recharge. Without enough sleep, your brain cannot function properly. Try to stick to your regular sleep routine. Key word here is try – I know it isn’t always possible with all the get-togethers going on. If you’re feeling tired during your full days, find some time for a quick nap. A short 10-20 minute nap in the mid-afternoon can make you more alert, ease stress, and lift your mood.
Do you have any tips that help get you through the busy holiday season? Share with us in our Facebook group!
