Whelp folks, here it is. Uh huh. I know. It really is that time of year again. For some, the holiday season is amazing, wonderful, exciting and fun. For others, it can be a huge source of stress- maybe because of family relationship issues, finances, bad memories, whatever. Good or bad…the next four weeks/last four weeks of the year are a whirlwind for most of us. Staying on track with health and wellness is key. Unfortunately, this time of year, most people toss all it out of the window completely and decide to wait for the New Year’s Resolution to kick in. Many polls have shown that more than 40% of those who set goals for the New Year don’t even make it a whole month after the New Year starts.

 

One thing to realize and affirm is that wellness and health should be a lifestyle, not a special event. Making things part of a regular routine is the secret to success. Place the utmost importance on self -care and treat it the same as you would any type of business transaction, job, or responsibility that is a “must” in your life. I find that using reminders on my smartphone really helps. Also, find an accountability buddy if there are some things you’ll totally blow off- for example, finding someone to work out with, or maybe someone you know who works out a gym you go to- set your selves up on a texting schedule and stick to your guns!

 

I’ve decided to categorize some things to consider to get you through this year. We need to take care of our WHOLE self. Not just watch what we eat and work out. Our minds affect our bodies’ performance, and our physical state affects how we think and feel. There’s just no getting around it folks.

 

MENTAL/SPIRITUAL survival tools

1. Start every day by taking a few minutes to sit quietly, if possible in meditation. (by the way, I’ve written a blog on this recently you can use as a guideline to help called the “5 Minute Meditation/Breathwork Re-boot- 5 Minute Meditation/Breathwork Re-boot
2. Visualize 3 things you feel very grateful for after your quiet meditation session.
3. There are TONS of free podcasts available to you for positive, uplifting motivation. I personally love to follow people like Tony Robbins, Oprah, Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and other different spiritual teachers/yogis- go to your podcast app or iTunes and do a search- there are so many wonderful things out there. You can plug in your headphones while you’re out running errands, listen in the car- there is time to listen!
4. When it comes to expressing things, especially to people at holiday gatherings, first and foremost, keep compassion in your heart for the other person your speaking to, even if you vehemently disagree with them. For example, our recent election has caused a lot of division and conflict between friends and relatives. There are some you may decide not to interact with anymore, but there inevitably will be someone who you disagree with and still have to interact with, and it’s unavoidable. We shouldn’t have to keep our mouths shut when it comes to expressing our opinion. But we shouldn’t personally attack the “opponent” we’re speaking with, and we should hold compassion for them, even if we don’t like them. This is hard, I know!!! But we’ve got to do it.
5. Finish your day with silent intention or prayer before sleep. Forgive yourself if you didn’t do your best that day, and remember tomorrow is a new beginning. You’re not stuck in anything ever.

FITNESS tools

1. Keep your fitness schedule consistent at a specific time of day on a regular basis. Make it a PRIORITY on your schedule, and set a reminder on your phone the night before, or a couple hours before your workout.
2. Find an accountability partner. This not only will REALLY help, it is a lot more fun
3. Reward yourself once a week if you made your fitness goals- go get a facial or massage, have a small treat, or buy a cute out fit- whatever motivates you! Stick to your reward and give yourself the joy you deserve!
4. Find something in fitness you really enjoy. Try a lot of different classes. Get outside on a beautiful day and catch some sunlight, it will give you a healthy dose of vitamin D and lift your spirits!
5. If you are feeling tired on a day you’re supposed to workout, and you just can’t fathom doing anything intense, try a yoga class or go for a short walk. It’s more important to keep consistent than it is to always do intense exercise in your workouts. If you start blowing off your routine because it just seems to hard, well, chances are you’ll blow it off way longer than you should in the long run.

NUTRITION/EATING GUIDELINE tools

1. Make sure to get in your veggies- if you’re too busy to bother because you’ve got a lot going on, there are some great products out there that have concentrated energy greens you can drink and get all of your nutrients in for the day. (Isagreens are amazing- Skin and Body Balance is a distributor for this amazing product)
2. Drink plenty of water every day, no matter what. You need approximately half of your body weight in ounces. If you work out or drink alcohol, increase that by another 8-16 ounces.
3. If you know you’re going to a holiday party, try drinking a protein shake or having a protein bar about an hour or so before, especially if you know there will be food. (Isalean shakes and bars taste like dessert, are low in sugar, all natural, and available through Skin and Body Balance) If you show up to a party hungry, chances are, you’ll mow down the entire cheese plate in five minutes if you’re anything like me, haha! Protein shakes and bars fill you up and satisfy you, so that you won’t feel too hungry later. If there’s a party table set up with lots of different tempting items, put a few things on a plate and limit yourself to what’s on the plate. Limit yourself to one or maybe two plates, and try filling up half of the plate with healthier options (for example, instead of chips, put more veggies or fruit as dipping items if they are available).
4. Try to drink a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks. I like to sip on club sodas between drinks because they satisfy me more and take longer to drink than a glass of water. Try to limit yourself to a number of alcoholic drinks that you know is reasonable that you can actually handle without making yourself sick the next day.
5. Keep in mind that there are only three real actual holidays for most of us, and there may be a handful of parties in addition to that to attend where you will possibly go off the rails. Even if you do, go back to your healthy eating routine the next day. One bad day won’t ruin everything!

 

I hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday! Remember to keep it real, be the change you wish to see in the world, and treat others the way you wish to be treated!

 

Xoxo

-Kristin