5 Tips to Fight “Holidayitis” and Maintain Momentum and Sanity this Season
Well Thanksgiving has passed and we are well on our way to Christmas (or whatever holiday you may celebrate) and the end of the year.
When you reach this point in the year do you find yourself kind of just giving up and dialing it in for the last few weeks? Do you tell yourself “I’ll just pick that back up in the new year.” Or “I’ll start focusing on me in the new year.” Or “It’s not worth working on it now because the holidays are so busy and filled with temptations.” It’s like an annual form of senioritis. I call it “Holidayitis.”
Being in the wellness industry I hear over and over again that January is the biggest push of the year and to just wait to talk about things related to health and fitness until then because people aren’t thinking about it right now. In fact they are probably thinking the opposite.
But what if we could be sustainably healthy that we didn’t feel like we had to give up at the end of the year and start over in the new year? What if it wasn’t such a fight with ourselves to be well that we had to “let it go” for the holidays? That’s another story for another day but here are some tips to help you maintain a routine, momentum and some sanity through the holidays and not stop taking care of yourself this time of year.
A little movement goes a long way. Try to get in some form of movement for 10 – 20 minutes a day. This stretching in the morning when you get out of bed, doing squats and lunges while you make dinner or fold laundry, or a short Pilates video on IG. Last year I hosted COREmas on my IGTV so go watch those videos again and make it easy on yourself.
Don’t make things more complicated than they need to be. Oh boy am I the QUEEN of complicating everything more than it needs to be. So often this time of year we let ourselves go because we are so focused on the added demands of the holidays. But finding the simplicity in things can help you maintain your time freedom to not lose sight of your wellness. Most of the things that take our attention as moms this time of year ultimately don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. So if you don’t order those matching family jammies, the elf on the shelf is paralyzed from the neck down for a week, or you don’t send holiday cards until New Year’s (or at all). It’s ok!! It’s likely you’ll be the only one that notices anyways.
Spend time, not money. At the end of the day our kids are going to remember the way we made them feel and the time we spent with them, not the latest toy. Again, speaking from experience, I all too often fall into the trap of buying more for my kids or family for the holidays as a way to show them how much I love them. But this year due to tight budgets all around we are putting a pretty low limit on spending on presents for the kids, hand-making our Christmas gifts for family, and trying not to overcommit so we have more time together. Focusing on reinforcing or creating new traditions is very powerful.
Don’t put yourself off. I know it’s just so easy to do. Especially as the year comes to a close and we are tempted with the fresh start of a new year coming so soon. But instead of pushing the focus on you off, pick one thing to start-up or keep up throughout the remainder of the year. Whether that is drinking more water, eating breakfast every morning like one of these superfood smoothies from TUSOL Wellness or starting to strengthen your core, do just one thing to nourish yourself through the remainder of the year and stick with it. Seriously one small thing is better than no things.
Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up! Enjoy the cookies and cocktails. Sleep in instead of working out if your body needs it. Take back that holiday party RSVP because it’s just too much and sitting at home in front of the fire watching Hallmark movies with your family sounds way more appealing. As with all times of the year, it’s never all or nothing. Finding balance is what makes wellness sustainable and the moments enjoyable.
I think the biggest takeaway from all of these tips is to ENJOY this time of year. As moms we so easily let it become a source of stress and fatigue rather than magic and family. And don’t lose sight of you and your health and wellness just because it’s the end of the year.
XO-
C
