Ah, the holidays. Always busy, always stressful. But what about if we could have “healthy holidays”? Do we dare dream of a holiday season without stress? A festive season filled with personal time and yummy treats that don’t leave you on a sugar high?
Maybe it’s my age or the fact that this is the third Christmas/Hanukkah (yes both!) season that I’ll be spending at 20 weeks pregnant but this year I want to head back to work after the New Year feeling rejuvenated and not in need of a detox.
If you’re expecting more than just Santa like me this holiday season, do yourself a favour and listen up: the holidays get even crazier when the pitter patter of little feet are around. Take time now to learn best practices for taking care of you!
Carve the Turkey AND Carve out time for yourself
Making time for yourself is hard all year long. During the holidays, it’s virtually impossible. However, taking a moment (or two) to focus on your own wellbeing can help you be more present and less stressed. It can help you to enjoy your time with others even more. Plan time for yourself like you would any other event or obligation. For example, put it in your calendar at work and commit to it. You don’t have to tell anyone that you’re taking time for you, just simply say you’ve got another obligation. If it helps you to commit, book yourself in for an appointment that you can’t easily break (like a salon treatment or an in-studio yoga class).
Cheers to a booze free night!
So, if you’re pregnant you’re probably already aware that this Christmas won’t be full of too much cheer for you but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun drinks. Revel in the benefits in having a hangover free holiday season with these fantastic non-alcoholic party favourites from Tablespoon.com
Get Festive and Fit the festive way
Unless you’re celebrating Down Under, you’re likely ringing in the New Year with some snow and chilly temperatures. Grab your warmest jacket and get fit while being festive. Go for a hike, snowshoe or have a snowball fight. Anything that gets your heart pumping and your mind off wrapping presents.
Start your resolutions early
Why wait until January 1st to commit to healthier habits? Start your resolutions now when your ideas are fresh in your mind. We tend to choose resolutions that are designed to make us happier and healthier so starting them now before the most stressful season begins will help you prevent burnout or committment overload.
Meditate
If you’ve never tried mediating or thing it’s a waste of time, I challenge you to reconsider. Even if you never get to a full enlightened state you absolutely will benefit from a few minutes daily of sitting and focusing on your breathe. Try it by starting small and working your way up. Set your phone timer for just 1 minute. Get comfortable and close your eyes fully or partially. As you take long steady breaths, try to focus on just the air moving in and out of your body. It could help to count as your breath moves in and out. The more you practice, the more you’ll be able to tune out all of the other things racing around in your mind, helping you to feel calm and in control.
