It’s the most wonderful time of the year…until it’s not.
Reality is this…adulting is hard.
But it’s the most wonderful time of the year, right?
Who is responsible for making that happen? If a lot of that ownership falls onto your shoulders, it is most likely very far from the most wonderful time of the year for you. If you consider all of your regular responsibilities and then add a bunch of random extra tasks to that list, it can make for a very chaotic, not very wonderful time of the year.
This is the time of the year when we often see a dip in our attendance from our clients. Why? If you’ve been paying attention this far, you can probably guess it’s because “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
So how do we change things so they’re not quite as chaotic? Keep reading because today I’m going to share 8 ways to help you stay sane this holiday season.
- Prioritize Exercise - Don’t underestimate the power of a workout. There are so many benefits, including your mental health! Let go of what you think exercise “should” look like and move your body. If you’re a client (or you want to become one!), ask us how we can help.
- Routine - Keeping some kind of a routine helps us to remain grounded and feel secure. Of course this is going to look a little different, but if you can keep a few things the same, you will feel a little more sane.
- Sleep - Late nights and adult beverages can wreak havoc on your sleep. Instead of throwing your hands up in the air and giving up for the rest of the year, focus on establishing a good bedtime ritual for the nights you aren’t up late or drinking alcohol.
- Hydration - Another thing we tend to underestimate is hydration. Water = magic for our bodies. Dehydration can cause headaches, food cravings, disrupted sleep, and all around feeling crummy in addition to more serious issues if it becomes severe. Make a habit of carrying a water bottle with you everywhere you go. If you’re out celebrating with adult beverages, have a glass of water in between each drink.
- Nutrition - Have you ever waited all day to eat because you have a big event and you want to “save room” for all of the goodies? This may seem like a good idea to help prevent weight gain, but at what expense? Our bodies need fuel to function properly. Not fueling our bodies all day and asking it to function doesn’t feel great…you will feel like you have no energy and probably a little hangry as well. Perhaps a better approach might look like this…eating a protein-filled breakfast and lunch or brunch before the big meal and then focusing on the special foods you only see once or twice a year, bypassing the foods you eat regularly.
- Permission - We need to learn to give ourselves permission to enjoy the holidays and/or time spent with family and friends. We often try to hold ourselves to very high standards that may have been set by someone else at some point in time. We need to learn to let that stuff go. What does an enjoyable holiday season look like for YOU? Give yourself permission to do more of the things that lead to that.
- Grace - No one is perfect. Life happens. Give yourself some grace…and ask for help when you need it.
- Breathe - Nothing says stress like a chaotic holiday season, right? Before you poo poo breathing exercises, you must give it a try. These don’t have to be fancy…they don’t have to be in any certain place or for any certain amount of time. If you can take 1 or 2 minutes and focus on breathing you will be surprised at the difference it can make. Try this…starting at your belly, inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, pause for 4 seconds, exhale through your nose completely for 4 seconds. Repeat for 1-2 minutes and see how you feel.
- Sphere of Control - I was only planning on sharing 8 ideas, but this one is too good not to share. I’ll share the worksheet associated with this or you can create your own. You have 3 circles on a piece of paper…the one in the middle (the smallest) is where you write all of the things you have total control over (example: your choices, how you respond to things); the one that circles the smallest circle (the medium size) is where you write the things you have some control/influence over; the largest circle that circles both smaller circles represents things you have no control over. Completing this worksheet and keeping it handy can be very helpful when you feel your stress level rising. Does it allow you to not worry about things outside of your control? I wish! However, it does help you drive your focus back to the things that you DO have control over.
I hope these tips are helpful in keeping you a little less stressed this holiday season. If we can help in any way, please reach out. We include unlimited coaching in our semi-private and personal training memberships for our clients. If you’d like to learn more about that, please schedule a discovery call here.
Cheers,
Kim
