Four Strategies for a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season.
My toxic trait is basically gluttony. I want to have all the things. Eat all the food. Try all the wines. Experience all the things.
I’m super high energy so moving quickly from one thing to the next feels natural for me. Which is great for me, but not for my family. I also have a tendency to think I can do a lot more than I can in the time given, which creates more stress than necessary as I’m rushing from one “experience to the next” a stressed out hot mess.
Actually just this week, we were getting ready to fly out for my niece’s wedding.
I had in my head that I could go to a 5:30 yoga class before catching a 9:00 flight.
Sure sure. If those were a.m. times that’s doable. Also, if all my laundry were done and I was packed and all I had to do was shower, get dressed and walk out the door. And if I didn’t need to make breaks for human interaction or being a mom or a wife.
But that wasn’t the case so at 4:30 PM, I start freaking out yelling at my daughter to help me fold laundry (that should have been folded days before) and trying to throw things into a suitcase. Now I’ve added stress to my daughter’s day and my dog is hiding under the bed.
Not quite holiday cheer.
This is true all the time, but especially this time of year. It’s so easy to get overscheduled, overplanned and overwhelmed. There are so many traditions to keep, new things to try and fun to be had. Yes and yes and yes! Here for all of it!
The downside is that the overwhelm means stress, which can mean lack of sleep, which can mean missing workouts which can mean feeling sluggish which can mean mindless eating. Or, arrange those dominoes in whatever order you like. It’s all connected.
So, whether you’re like me and jumping into the season full of all the holiday cheer or stepping in more cautiously, the holidays have a way of becoming overwhelming. The extra stress, busier than usual schedule, expectations and parties can have a negative impact on our health and wellbeing.
I’m not here to tell you how to win the holidays by shopping in July. Or organizing your gift wrap table. If that’s you, that’s so great. I love that for you.
I am here to help you live your most nutritious and delicious life.
Here’s the thing. I know that before the holidays came a be-boppin’ in that you, my lovely, were working really hard to make some healthy choices. And you want to end the year feeling energetic, strong, happy and not stressed.
And I want to help you (and myself, given the aforementioned yoga/flight fiasco) to experience a happy and healthy holiday season.
So enough preamble, here are four strategies for making the holidays happy and healthy.
Oh, a couple of caveats.
As we go through this, I will provide some examples. This is not to say that this is exactly how you should feel and exactly what you should do. This really is meant as a guide.
We are all in different seasons of our lives. You might be in a season of survival, a season of change, a season of thriving.
But now that you know what I’m dealing with (a crazy level of optimism for what can fit into a day), I hope the examples below help you think through what’s right for you.
Okay, now for real.
Four strategies to help you have a happy and healthy holiday season.
Be intentional.
Decide what matters most this season.
I don’t mean “having the best holiday card” or “the perfect tree with the perfect grammable photo opp picking out the tree in perfect matching outfits.”
What’s really important to you about the holiday season?
When I have run workshops on this, I hear things like:
“I want to really experience the joy of the season.”
“I want to make happy memories for my kids.”
“I want to create new traditions for my family.”
For me, it’s really connecting with friends and family. Being IN the experience I’m in and enjoying it for what it is And the people for who they are. So, I might write down a short phrase that I can remember and return to when I need to focus. I would write:
“Be here.” Or “Stay in the moment.”
If you have ever taken a yoga class, you are familiar with this idea of setting an intention. I think that works well here.
Set your intention for the season.
Be realistic.
What might get in the way of your intention?
For me, it’s my gluttony. Thinking about all the things keeps me from enjoying the thing in front of me.
Be ready.
What behaviors and habits can help you overcome this challenge to support your intention?
Remember happy and healthy is about mind, body and joy. So, some questions you can ask:
How can I keep my mind focused?
What does my body need to be nourished and energized?
When do I need to pause for joy.
Be kind to yourself.
Each week, take a few minutes to reflect on your intention. Thinking about mind, body and joy, ask yourself:
What behaviors or habits helped?
What behaviors or habits were not helpful?
What behaviors or habits will I keep going into next week?
What behaviors or habits will I let go?
**
And that’s a wrap.
*Be intentional.
*Be realistic.
*Be ready.
*Be kind to yourself.
**
I hope this practice of setting an intention and resetting as needed helps you to have a happy and healthy holiday season.
Be well, my lovelies.
Ready to sparkle this season?
Check out my Personalized Health Coaching options or get more tips for a nutritious and delicious holiday season in: Holiday Mindset.
Margaret Faintich is on a mission to help us all live in a world where taking care of our health and wellness is the norm. Where we can eat nutritious and delicious food every day because they are the same and that’s just how we live.
She shares inspiration and guidance through the lens of mindy, body and spirit.
Margaret Faintich is the founder of B’Vive Co. and a Nutritious Life Master Certified Nutrition and Wellness Coach.
She is a yoga lover and OrangeTheory Fitness enthusiast.
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