Surviving the Holidays
Every year beginning in November, you can hear people start to talk about the stressors of the Holiday season. This has been amplified since Christmas decorations have been getting displayed since before Halloween giving us a longer period of time to constantly be reminded to buy gifts for everyone. As this happens, it can become easy to put yourself and your desires on the back burner. In our culture it has become expected to do more, buy more, be more places. Maybe this should be the year that you should push back on this idea and instead embrace the time with the people you care about the most. These are some things I’ve seen some of our clients use over the years and some of them are tactics that I’ve learned help me personally. For each person finding the right equation will be some trial and error involved, but it’s certainly worth exploring. The holidays aren’t a time to put your health to the side or accept an increase in stress so we need to prepare ourselves physically and mentally for them.
Check your Levels
I think this is worth doing year round, but especially during the busy holiday season. We check our vehicles gas gauge before we make a long trip somewhere, but when was the last time you checked your energy or emotional gauge? During this time of year we can easily become so busy doing things that have us busy and constantly moving, but don’t bring us energy. We forget to do the things that bring us energy so we can be the best version of ourselves. This happened to me the other day when I realized it had been over a week since I last rode my mountain bike. One I acknowledged this, I pulled my calendar out and put it on the schedule. I know that will give me energy and help me be more present for things like family time or work later. With emotional energy, I truly feel like if we don’t do the things that fill us up, then we will emotionally become unhappy. Doing things for others is great, but we have to make sure that we’re emotionally ready to take on another task. Keep your energy and emotional gauges full and the holidays will be much more enjoyable.
Sleep
During the holiday stretch, there’s likely at least a few nights where everyone is up later than they normally are. This can throw us off our rhythm so we need to be proactive on the days when we can better control our rest or sleep. If you know you’ll be up later one night, try to squeeze in a 30-45 minute nap in the afternoon. Put your phone on do not disturb and rest your eyes. This will have you feeling full of energy to enjoy the later nights with friends and family. On the days when you don’t have plans, make your sleep a priority. Try going to sleep 10 minutes earlier or creating a bed time routine that will help you get to sleep faster and get better quality sleep. Some things that could help improve sleep quality during this time :
Phones off 90 minutes before bed
Stop eating 1-2 hours before bed
Take a hot shower and then do some easy stretching
Perform breathing exercises
No caffeine past 12pm
Get your Activity In
If you’re struggling to find time to exercise like you’re used to, invite the people who want to spend time with you to exercise. This checks a couple things off the list. I have a friend that will come workout at our gym while home and then we will ride mountain bikes at some point during her trip. These are great chances to exercise and enjoy each other’s company. I have other friends who our time together might be spent going on a walk in the woods together. This is a great opportunity to disconnect and be fully present with people. If we don’t get our activities in that we’re used to, it throws off our energy gauge. Even modified activity is better than scratching it all together.
Say No
Time is short and precious. It’s our most valuable asset. If you don’t want to go to the holiday work party, don’t go. You can say no to invitations. It’s not rude, but it does take courage to say no. Saying Yes to everything will leaving you saying No to something else (something that could refill energy or emotional well being). This will allow you to be more present to the events you decide to attend. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, be honest with people and tell them you need time to yourself.
Pick your Battles
As a fitness professional, I’ll be the first person to say that the holidays might not be the best time to start a new workout plan, strict diet, and other huge lifestyle changes. Even if you’ve made these changes and have been following a strict diet, it’s ok to go off plan some during this time. You’ll likely see family members that you don’t see often and maybe the make a desert that no one else makes. Have the desert. This is why we preach playing the long term game. When you develop consistency and positive habits, altering your plan for a few days doesn’t stop or reverse everything. No one will compliment you on your will power to not have a desert, but you’ll definitely regret not sharing the experience at some point.
This list could likely go on and change to each individual person’s specific scenario. Try one to two new tactics each year and see which ones stick for you. There is no cookie cutter plan (get the pun) to surviving the holidays. It’s the same as making a plan that works for your work week, weekend, family etc. When we create these scenarios that work for us with ease, we’re more likely to stick to them and have positive experiences along the way. Enjoy the holiday and enjoy the deserts and most importantly enjoy the time with the people who matter the most to you.
Nick Showman