Although the holiday season can bring with it lots of increased love and laughter it can also be a time where there is a big increase in life stress. Too much alcohol, a lack of sleep, rushing to different planned events and being in crowded places where there may be sick people all put extra strain on our bodies, our emotional health and our immune system. Make sure you are still taking care of yourself during the holiday season! If you on a break from working also take the opportunity to care and pamper yourself here and there!
1. STAY HYDRATED:
Make sure you drink plenty of water each day. Sometimes when we are rushing around shopping and attending various different events we can forget to stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water when you first wake up and then make sure to fill up a drink bottle to bring with you out on the go! Water helps to carry oxygen to our cells and allows us to regularly remove toxins! Get that water in to ensure that your immune function is functioning well against any extra stress or holiday bugs that might be floating about.
2. LOAD UP ON THE VEGE:
When celebrating with friends and family it’s absolutely fine to indulge a little and eat things that you maybe would not usually eat! However, make sure you load up on all of the good stuff first and fill yourself up with the good stuff and then if you still feel hungry have smaller amounts of the not-so-good stuff! Load up your plate with all of the veggies, fruit and salad dishes then just have smaller portions of any extras. Sauces can be a big source of extra calories – especially things like gravy, salad dressing, cream etc. so be mindful to just take small servings of any condiments! Do the same with dessert – if you want it, have it but just choose to have a smaller serving – pick a small bowl and a teaspoon to eat it with! Overeating is far more harmful to our bodies that undereating because it is really hard for our bodies to get rid of a large amount of extra food. Try and be mindful of portion sizes and how much you are eating while still enjoying yourself!
3. BE MINDFUL OF MIXING MEATS 😉
If you are a bit of a flexitarian and want to indulge in animal protein at events over the holiday season stick to eating one type of meat per meal. Overloading your body with multiple different types of meat is going to leave your body exhausted! Meat takes up to two days to digest in our bodies and filling up your body with a bunch different sources of animal protein is going to leave you feeling heavy, demotivated and you might struggle with exercise the following day if your body is still trying to digest your meal from the previous day! Again first try to load up on veggie-based sources of protein and then if you must have some animal protein take a smaller portion or have it at the end of your meal as a treat!
4. MANAGE YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE:
Alcohol is filled with lots of empty calories! When we are drinking we are also less likely to make positive food choices! If you have a function on make sure you eat a light meal before you head out so that you are not drinking on an empty stomach. It also helps to alternate every glass of alcohol with a glass of water (gotta get that water in!). In advance decide on a limit in your head so that you are mindful of your drinking depending on the occasion. e.g office Christmas party – one drink, holiday catch up with friends – two to three drinks. When you get home, plan to drink a large amount of water before you head to bed to minimise any dehydration!
5. BECOME A FOOD PREP QUEEN!
If you plan to be out of the house for long periods make sure that you take a bunch of healthy snacks with you so that you are less tempted to grab unhealthy takeaways when you are in a rush. Cut up some fruit and veggie snacks and put some dried fruit and nuts in containers for quick snacking when you are out on the go! You can also pre-prep a healthy, nutritious smoothie the night before and take that out with you the next day! Think about the events that you have on and try to do a bunch of healthy food prep in advance so that you are never heading out to anything on an empty stomach. If you have a day at home planned for decorating or gift wrapping perhaps take the opportunity to do a bit of a juice cleanse!
6. TICK EXERCISE OFF FIRST:
No matter what time you need to be somewhere plan your day in advance and get up earlier than you have to! The holiday season can be super chaotic and busy with loads of evening events on so it is really best to get that exercise in first thing in the morning. Be organised the night before and lay out all of your workout gear. Work out what time you will need to get up to be able to fit that workout in and set your alarm. Put on your gear as soon as you get up and head to the gym or out for that run or to that yoga studio. Exercising early is also going to give you more energy for a busy day and can also help you to manage any extra increase in stress. Plus you won’t feel so bad about eating any of those extra sweet treats or that glass of wine if you know that you have gotten a good workout in! If you are travelling don’t forget to take your running shoes and your yoga mat! You can even get easy travel-sized yoga mats.
7. UP YOUR SELF-CARE:
Make sure you don’t neglect yourself during the holiday season! If you have family staying or you are staying with family make sure you regularly take time out to rest and recharge. It is perfectly fine to take breaks to go out for a walk or to read a book. Take any time off work as an opportunity to also do some extra nice things for yourself! Book in a massage or a facial. Massage is shown to boost our white blood cell count and reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body which helps to increase immunity against disease! Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep- if you have a late night, plan to get into bed early the following evening. A good nights sleep helps to protect our immune system, minimise any weight gain, maintains our mental and emotional health and also helps us to look fantastic!
We are all energetic beings constantly emitting energy. Being around large crowds of stressed, anxious people can drain our own energy. A really simple way to protect your own energy when being around a lot of other people is simply to sit quietly for a minute, place your hands on your heart centre and imagine yourself protected in a bubble of light. Regular meditation can also help you to deal with any holiday chaos and effectively manage other peoples emotions. Plan ahead as much as possible to minimise any extra increase in life stress. Take any small snippet of time here and there for some yoga, a salad, a piece of fruit, a walk, or a cuddle with your pets or kids!
8. AVOID BUGS:
If you are flying take disinfectant wipes on the plane with you and wipe everything that you will come in contact with!
Make sure you take your vitamins every day and then pack anything you regularly take away on holiday with you as well! Do the same for your children also! Start giving them things to help boost their immune system before you leave on your break so that you are less likely to deal with bugs when you are away.
9. BUILD CONNECTIONS:
Spending time and connecting with loved ones should be the most important thing. That should be the most important focus! We can get so caught up in the gift giving, eating and drinking and forget what it is all about. Celebrating these important connections that we surround ourselves with. Try and plan some activities with others that don’t revolve around eating and drinking (like working out!). Plan a hike with family, head out to the local park, go for a walk to look at decorated houses, and plan some active games with the family to balance out any decrease in physical activity!
10. GIVE BACK:
Take time out to give back to someone less fortunate than yourself. Leave a present or food at the donation centres that you see around the place or give the best gift of all – your time! There is a wide range of volunteer options over the holiday period. Volunteering can be very rewarding and help you to realise how very lucky you are in your own life! ♥
(Photo: Dave Lastovskiy)