By Brianna Yuill
With holidays quickly approaching, it can get a little overwhelming.
Buying gifts, decorating the house, baking, cooking and hosting. How are we to find the time to maintain our healthy lifestyles and reduce stress?
The holidays are meant to be spent with the people that we love, whether it’s family or friends. Filling our houses with light and laughter can make this time of year an extremely joyous time in our lives. However, the financial commitment, the stress of hosting and the busy-ness of the season can negatively impact our lives.
Here are some tips to stay happy and healthy through out the holidays and the new year.
Plan and stick to your budget. Start early and try to find the gifts and food you’re hoping to have on sale ahead of time.
Consider different ways to celebrate. Consider homemade gifts, experiences or donating instead of gifting this season. There are no rules to how the holidays must be celebrated. You and your family can make your own traditions.
Take time for yourself. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can get out of hand if we let it. Take some time to do things that you enjoy or spend time on your own if you need it.
Take in the moment. If you have little ones in your life, this time of year is magical for them and it is priceless to see them take it all in. Instead of worrying about the meal or the mess, sit and be fully present with them in the moment.
Reduce stress. This is easier said than done. Try to have patience and plan ahead to decrease rushing around and getting overwhelmed. Ask for help if you need it.
Prioritize your healthy routine but give yourself grace. If you like to exercise, try to keep your routine throughout the busy season. However, if you find you need to skip it here and there, don’t be hard on yourself. If you feel like exercise is a chore that you must do, you will not enjoy it as much. This can lead to burnout and completely destroy a routine you worked so hard to build.
If you’ve been eating well, try to have healthy meals and snacks on hand that make it easy to stick to this healthy habit. However, part of the holiday season is the baked goods and big meals enjoyed with friends and family. Again, giving yourself grace when you indulge a little bit is okay. You can get back to your healthy habits later.
Partake in your routines as normal. If you have specific morning or evening routines, try to maintain them as much as possible. Especially ones that impact your sleep habits.
Consider things you’d like to add or change in your life. The new year is an excellent time to try new things that can impact your life in a positive way. It is easier to add something in or slightly change it than it is to completely stop something. It also takes a long time to establish a new habit or break an old one. All you can ask yourself to do is to try your best.
Stay home if you are feeling unwell; take time to rest and feel better.
Enjoy this holiday season as it comes and goes quickly. Take time to enjoy the season, stay active within your community and do the things you like. Don’t let the pressure of making the holidays perfect get you down.
Brianna Yuill is a registered kinesiologist with the Kincardine Family Health Team. For more information about any of the free services offered by the Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team, visit mmfht.ca or call the Drayton/Palmerston office at 519-638-2110.
