It's The Most Stressful Time of the Year: How to Survive the Holiday Season Without Sabotaging Your Health Goals
The holiday season is a magical but chaotic time of year. Between Halloween and New Year’s Eve, there are parties, family gatherings, travel, work deadlines, and more packed into just 8-10 weeks.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, stressed out, and worried about your health goals going off track during this wildcard of a season. I’ll be honest, most people totally sabotage their progress over the holidays and gain back all the weight they worked so hard to lose earlier in the year. I already see it happening all around me as people throw their hands up for the rest of 2023 and “get serious again in January.” But we go through this same cycle every single year!
There is always an option where you can maintain your progress, heal your relationship with food, and make the most out of every magical moment with friends and family
What About You
What about you – are you already feeling yourself sliding with the treats and skipping workouts or are you feeling fired up to make this year different?
Popular belief will tell you that you actually have two options here:
- Enjoy ALL the holiday goodies and festivities leading to a 10kg weight gain and blown diet.
or
- Turn down dessert, have a salad on Christmas Eve, and work out Christmas morning before the kids wake up to stay on track.
Here’s the deal – it doesn’t have to be so black and white. There is a third option where you can maintain your progress, heal your relationship with food, and make the most out of every magical moment with friends and family over the holidays.
Want to know what it is? Keep reading!
PS: I am linking more resources at the bottom of the article that can help you successfully navigate this time of the year, check them out!
First Things First - Check Your Mindset
If you’re always tired and “needing” coffee to keep you going, here’s what I would do:
Before we get into the nitty gritty tactics, we need to look at our mindset going into this season. Because honestly? That’s going to make or break us these next few months.
Here are 3 key tips for getting your mind right:
- Don’t assume it’s inevitable you’ll fall off track: If you expect failure, you’ll get it. Have an empowered mindset knowing you’ve got this.
- Give yourself permission to enjoy the holidays: Don’t ban foods or forbid yourself from having fun. It leads to rebellion and burnout.
- Let go of judgment if you indulge on occasion: Avoid harsh self-criticism. Progress isn’t linear. Keep going with self-love.
When you enter the holidays feeling confident, flexible and focused on balance over perfection, you’re setting yourself up for success.
So, got your mindset right? Great, let’s move on to the strategies.
Holiday Wellness Survival Tips and Tactics
- Make a plan. Plot out your workout schedule weeks in advance accounting for travel, parties, etc. The plan prepares you.
- Wake up early. Grab that workout in before the day’s festivities. Even 30 minutes is progress.
- At parties, scope out healthy options first like veggies and lean proteins. Fill up on those before treating.
- Don’t starve all day or restrict heavily leading up to events. Sets you up to overdo it. Eat regularly.
- Hydrate all day and have a glass of water between treats and cocktails. Designed to slow you down.
- Maintain exercise consistency as much as possible. Even 10-15 minutes a day keeps momentum going.
- Prioritize sleep, especially after indulging. Metabolism and willpower suffer without enough sleep.
- Weigh yourself weekly to stay accountable. But don’t fixate! Use it as feedback vs judgment.
- Practice self-compassion on challenging days. Talk to yourself like a caring friend.
Taken individually, these tactics are simple. But together, they make a massive impact. Consistently apply just a few of these each day and you’ll sail through the holidays feeling balanced, proud and ready to keep crushing goals in January.
Keeping Perspective - Progress Over Perfection
The holidays are a marathon, not a sprint. You’ll likely have some slip-ups or tougher days along the way. And honestly? That’s OK!
At the end of the day, maintaining all your healthy habits perfectly is not what the holidays are about. They’re about reconnecting with loved ones, enjoying time off work, and making magical memories. Don’t lose sight of that.
If you put pressure on yourself to be “perfect,” it will backfire. You’ll feel anxious and deprived, leading you to rebel and throw in the towel completely.
Instead, focus on progress over perfection. If you maintain your weight through the holidays, I call that an epic win! Then you can resume working towards your goals feeling positive in 2024.
Focus on all that is going right vs. the slip-ups. Don’t be too hard on yourself or catastrophize. Remind yourself that you’ve totally got this.
Conclusion
The holiday season brings immense joy along with many disruptions. But with the right mindset of flexibility and self-compassion, you can maintain healthy habits and start the new year off strong.
Focus on progress over perfection and remember to enjoy the magic of this wonderful time of year.
What is one-holiday health tip you’re committing to this year?
Recommended reading
Recommended reading
Additional Resources
Feeling in control of your health
If you are interested in improving your health and wellness, check out other resources such as Our Blog, Free Resources and/or join our private Body-Mind Transformation Secrets Community on Facebook, and The 360 Transformation Blueprint Podcast on Spotify and go on an even deeper dive with me to uncover how to succeed in your health and wellness goals.
You may also be interested in our Sleep Secrets Cheat Sheet. It is a great resource with strategies to fix and optimize your sleep which is crucial to succeeding in your health and wellness goals.
Resources
Pictures
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