Prioritizing Health and Wellness Through a Busy Holiday Season
With the holidays right around the corner, there has never been a better time to create a health and wellness game plan. In the flurry of family events and breaks from routine, it is easy to neglect our health. Establishing a plan prior to the rush of the holiday season can alleviate stress and provide concrete reminders of healthy behaviors. True relaxation and time well spent with loved ones is best accomplished when we are putting the best version of ourselves forward.
Maintaining fitness and exercise is an easy way to relieve stress and prioritize our bodies during the holiday season. Movement does not (and should not) look the same for everyone. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to exercise, so it is important to find what works best for you. The Movement Lab here at FOHC is one route to maintaining a routine throughout the holiday season. In our small group fitness classes, you have the opportunity to learn new exercises and equipment, with the security of having someone to correct your movement.
For those that will be traveling, there are a plethora of online resources available for exercise inspiration. Youtube has free videos that can be accessed from anywhere, regardless of available equipment. Walking can also be done from anywhere, and can be done with others. When establishing a routine, being realistic is the biggest determining factor in sticking to the plan. While it may not seem like it, time can almost always be made. If 20 minutes is all that you have in a day, that is still time that can be dedicated to movement. 20 minutes of movement is a win compared to none!
Nutrition is equally as important as exercise in maintaining our healthy habits during the holiday season. The holidays are filled with wonderful times with loved ones, which often means plenty of indulgent foods. There is certainly nothing wrong with enjoying these foods during this special time of year, but feeling sluggish or bloated is something we all try to avoid.
Listening to hunger cues is incredibly important. It is easy to see a beautiful spread and overindulge, but this can ignore the innate process within our body that tells us when we are full. Additionally, striving for balance on your plate or over the course of a day can leave you feeling better in the long run. Foods are not inherently “bad”; they cannot hold their own moral value. Pairing foods that are more indulgent with foods that hold more nutritional value can be a good way to feel satisfied and appreciate special holiday foods.
Finally, and most importantly, managing stress is one of the most challenging tasks during the holiday season. Stress with family members, traveling, and managing holiday plans can be overwhelming. If overwhelming feelings begin to occur, there are a few things you can do:
Take a few deep belly breaths. These engage the parasympathetic nervous system which allows the body to go into rest and digest mode. Stepping away and engaging this system is the first step in taking a break.
Find a moment in the day to do something for you. Whether this is reading a book, sitting down with a cup of coffee in the morning, or stretching, finding moments of tranquility can help alleviate stress.
Create a strong shield. It can be easy to let comments from family members or unideal situations negatively affect our day. Creating and enforcing strong boundaries keeps us sane while also letting others know how we expect to be treated.
The holidays can be filled with so much joy and time well spent with others. All of the above strategies are recommendations and starting places for managing your mental and physical wellbeing. We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of others, and being mindful of how to do so is the first step toward a relaxed holiday season.