Why do we go into the holiday season with a survival mode? The holidays are bound to crush us, and we must approach the season with tips and tricks up our sleeves. Well, what if we changed the narrative and actually took control of our health and wellness lifestyle this upcoming season?
Let’s approach the holiday season with proactive planning so that we can bounce back — and here’s how!
1. Instead of the holidays taking over your calendar, map out your seasonal commitments.
Once December hits, you’ll have a full social calendar and find yourself committed to holiday parties or social events at least a couple of times a week. I suggest picking at least three days a week where you focus on clean eating, hydrating, prioritizing sleep, and scheduling movement. Believe it or not, this will be a good balance to the lack of routine and scheduling. Planning ahead will help you stay afloat!
2. Make some healthy swaps.
Simple swaps in your usual recipes could help mitigate the cheat meals. For example, you could swap cauliflower for pasta, rice, or potato, sweet potato for regular potato, Greek yogurt for sour cream, homemade sauces instead of store-bought canned options, and sautéed vegetables as sides instead of casseroles or au gratins.
3. Shop and walk.
Ever heard of mall walking? Why not plan out your holiday shopping with movement? Malls are a great place to get your cardio going through your gift shopping. You could map out a route that gets you working up a sweat and bonus points for packing a handful of healthy snacks, so you don’t cave into the Cinnabons and fast food.
4. Let it out.
Stress creeps up and manifests in different ways, so why not release some thoughts that may be causing negative energy? Managing your anxiety by writing could help keep your “holiday” stress under control. Writing down goals for the month could help you stay on track between the “chaos.” Sharing concerns could help create strategies to navigate upcoming social events or family time.
