7 Ways to THRIVE This Holiday Season

The Holiday Season can be hectic, stressful, and let’s face it, not so healthful. Here are 7 suggestions to help you truly THRIVE!

7 Ways to THRIVE This Holiday Season

The Holiday Season can be hectic, stressful, and let’s face it, not so healthful.

Between the shopping, cooking, cleaning, planning, parties, and so on, it is much harder to manage finances, interpersonal relationships, and your health - both physical and mental.

That’s why it is so important to do everything we can to have the most peaceful, healthful and stress-free holiday season we can.

Here are seven steps to help you not only survive but thrive during

1. Be Intentional With Your Indulgences

Plan, plan, plan!

We all have a favorite holiday food or foods, but that doesn’t mean we have to eat it in excess every time we see it. Make a plan for yourself and stick to it. Decide where you will indulge and where you will pass. If you eat healthy 80% of the time, then there’s plenty of room to indulge the remaining 20% of the time. This approach will help you avoid dreading those all-too-familiar New Years resolution stringencies.

SPECIAL NOTE: ALCOHOL

There’s nothing worse than a killjoy right before the holiday season, but this needs to be said.

I’m not judging anyone for drinking. I enjoy it sometimes. I love the taste of beer and wine.

BUT

I am NOT endorsing alcohol consumption.
Alcohol is NOT healthy.
No alcohol is a healthy alcohol.
There’s literally ZERO nutritional value in alcohol. You’ll find no healthy protein, no complex carbs, and no essential fats in alcohol.
But you will find calories. A lot.

You know I’m not one for obsessively counting calories, but I like my calories to be justified. Any amount of calories of alcohol will give me…...nothing but a little buzz and some entertainment.

Hey, I know all the arguments! I've used them!

Like... drinks such as wine, cider, or beer at least come from whole foods such as grapes and apples.....so....they've got to be a little bit healthy right?

Wrong.

How much of that actual fruit and fiber do you think is present in your sugary beverage?

Little to none.

And even though these drinks may be “healthier”, it doesn’t give you free reign to drink five of them and say they are "ok" for you.

Remember: you’ll get the fewest calories, sugars, and health risks from the fewest drinks.

Pro tip...always make sure you’re drinking a glass of water in between each drink you consume. This will help ensure you’re processing your drinks at a safe pace.

2. Sneak in Exercise

You knew I was going to say that...right?

Time gets really tight with all the shopping, cooking and parties that come up during the holiday season. And you may be tempted to remove exercise from your To Do list. Don’t do it! Sneak minimal exercise into your day so you can enjoy your holiday festivities without sacrificing your fitness. As little as 15–30 minutes a day can keep your fitness level intact and help keep you sane.

Need ideas?

Join my free private Facebook group for special Holiday exercise challenges. Stay consistent, have fun, feel supported with people just like you, and maybe even win prizes! Click here to join.

3. Try to be positive

During the holidays, especially this year, it’s really easy to get caught up in all the negative news. If you already are the over-scheduled type, it’s easy to lose track of what’s really important. Create a daily practice of counting your wins each day so you can enjoy the holidays with a healthier and happier mindset. If you’re willing, post your daily positivity on your social media accounts. Your holiday cheer will make an impact on those around you.

4. Get help managing your stress levels

Everyone experiences stress, but not in the same way and not with the same triggers. So a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work here.

I believe in client-centered coaching, which means the YOU are in the driver’s seat when making choices that affect your life. My role as a coach is to support you so you can make the best decisions possible.

With that in mind, I’m offering my free Stress Relief Strategies Guide (no email required!) which contains 10 natural solutions for managing your stress levels. YOU can pick which one you’d like to try (or try them all!) to see what works best for your unique body and lifestyle. If you are moderately successful with even one you’re ahead of the game!

See the end of this post for the link to download.

5. Set a Budget

How many times have you received your January credit card statement and were scared to open it? None of your gift recipients want you to feel this way! This year, more than ever, develop a gifting strategy and budget so you don’t go broke and become resentful when you receive those pesky statements. Hint: planning and shopping earlier will help you stay within budget.

6. Stay in the Moment

Commitments, feuding relatives, fruit cake, oh my! All of these things can seriously distract you and take you to a very dark and dreary place. Follow a daily mindfulness practice, like setting daily intentions. Each day, just ask yourself 'what matters today?' - and do JUST THAT. Hopefully this will allow you to slow down and enjoy every minute of the holidays with your friends and family.

7. Change the View

This year, I’ll bet there are many people who can’t wait for the holidays to end. In these times, it’s important to make a slight perspective shift in order to fly through the holiday stress without being the relative everyone complains about next year. If you can follow these simple seven steps, even imperfectly, you’re practically guaranteed to have a healthy and happy holiday season!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Download your Stress Relief Strategies guide here

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Book a call with me and let's create a plan to get your health and fitness on track together.

Categories: Thrive