Okay, so be honest with me.
Are you looking forward to the holidays?
Let’s see, there is shopping, eating, decorating, eating, holiday get-togethers, eating, crowded streets and malls, eating, end of year projects, eating, bills, eating, family and EATING!
Let’s face it, the holidays can be brutal if you don’t know how to approach them in a way that keeps you both healthy and sane!
You need a plan.
You can’t run away or pretend the holidays don’t exist. I’ve seen holiday decorations up since before Halloween.
So what do you do?
Here are my Top Tips for Making it Through the Holiday Season while Staying Healthy, Happy and Sane!
- Create a plan of attack. This goes for gift-giving and holiday entertaining as well as your own personal needs, like fresh air and exercise.
- Continue with your normal routines as much as possible. If you can get to bed around the same time, perfect!
- Don’t neglect yourself! Self-care must be a prioirity. Showers, adequate sleep and quiet time just for you is not you being selfish.
- Exercise! Take a walk if you can’t make it to the gym. But if you can escape your house, then the time at the gym will be a better way to relax and rejeuvenate yourself.
- Don’t eat anything and everything that comes in your path. Don’t be afraid to say NO!
- Holiday cocktails can be enticing and also loaded with calories. If you choose to indulge, plan to drink more water before, during and afterwards.
- If you know you’re heading into a stressful situation, bring a friend. Give yourself a way out if you need it but still find a way to be polite before you make your escape.
- Eat before you get to a party if you’re concerned that you might overeat. Choose what you really want and then walk away.
- Put limits on gifts if you or your budget decide that it’s necessary. Don’t feel bad, there is life after the holidays.
- If you need quiet time to yourself, take it. You don’t always have to be a social butterfly.
- If you don’t want to be the butt of jokes or have unsavory pictures floating around the web, don’t put yourself in that position. If you’re not proud of it, don’t do it.
- Have fun above everything else! The holidays come just once a year, so celebrate.
- Spend time with your family as long as you can tolerate. Appreciate the time you have with them but graciously excuse yourself if you no longer feel comfortable.
- Use the golden rule. Do onto others as you would have them do onto you. This applies to anything, everything and everywhere.
- Approach every situation, every person from a viewpoint of gratitude. You are living, breathing and coming into a magical time of year. Holidays or not, there is really a lot to be grateful for.
