Effective Wellness Strategies for the Busy Holiday Season
🎁We are in the thick of the holiday season. The time between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. The shopping commences, the holiday parties get underway and end-of-year deadlines loom while thinking about needs for Q1. It's quite the juggling act of work demands, holiday prep, and social obligations. Not to mention keeping ourselves and our immune systems up and running strong. Phew!
Luckily there are great ways to keep up with things this holiday season and cross the 2023 finish line fresh and ready to take on 2024!
In this post:
Set Realistic End-of-Year Goals
Schedule in Some Self-Care
Nutrition for Maintaining Energy
Navigating Social and Networking Obligations
Mindfulness and Living in the Now
Planning for the Year Ahead
Set Realistic End-of-Year Goals
We all like to think we are superhuman at times, it's part of the human condition but when facing down the last 4 weeks of the year it's important to understand what you can and can't accommodate.
Schedules tend to fill up fast during this time, allotting a little extra space in your schedule to get things done, avoid over-commitment, and prioritize the most important and pressing items on your to-do list can help ease the stress. Don't worry, whatever doesn't get done will still be there next year.
Schedule in Some Self-Care
Your calendar is packed which means it's even more important to sneak in some time for yourself to destress, unwind, and get a little extra rest. 🧘🏼🧘🏼♀️
Some easy practices to slip into your day can be:
5-Minute Meditation: A brief guided meditation can help center your thoughts, reduce stress, and improve focus. If you're new to meditation and are not sure where to start, there are tons of apps, paid and free, that can help you get started.
Deep Breathing Exercises: Practicing techniques like the 4-7-8 method for a few minutes can quickly calm the mind and relieve stress. Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts and slowly breathe out for 8. Do it a few times and feel your body relax.
Quick Stretching or Yoga Poses: Spending a few minutes stretching at your desk or doing simple yoga poses can alleviate physical tension and rejuvenate the body. You don't need to downward dog for this. There are some chair or seated stretches you can do.
Power Naps: If feasible, a 10-20 minute power nap can be incredibly restorative. From being more "frustration tolerant" to higher creativity power naps can be quite beneficial. If you want to know more about how beneficial naps are, you can read more here.
Walking Breaks: A brief walk, even around the office or block, can clear your mind, boost energy levels, and provide a change of scenery.
It's amazing what just a few minutes can do for our energy and mood.
🥬Nutrition for Maintaining Energy
Food is fuel, that is if you're eating the right kind of food. The holiday season is full of sugary sweets, heavy meals, and lots of drinks. DEFINITELY partake in the fun, but also find balance.
Some nights may be filled with a few cocktails and lots of carbs so switch to some extra healthy foods in between.
🍽️ Don't skip meals, you might think that because you have a big dinner later skipping breakfast or lunch is a good idea but it could actually lead to overeating later. Stick to your regular meal schedule. If you know you'll have a really heavy meal later then eat a little lighter throughout the day, but do not skip!
💧 Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated helps with digestion and keeps your energy levels up.
🥦 Find some healthy substitutes, this can be a tough one. I know those recipes passed down from generation to generation can have about 10 lbs of butter and a whole sack of sugar, but when you can consider healthier substitutes for high-calorie ingredients. Greek yogurt can be a great replacement for sour cream or applesauce instead of oil in baked goods.
Adding some seasonal supplements into your routine can also do wonders replacing nutrients we are lacking. Vitamin D levels in the body tend to decrease in the winter months as we see less sunshine break through the clouds. or vitamin C, Zinc, Elderberry extract, and Curcumin are great immune system boosters when the temps are a little colder than we might like.
And remember to ENJOY! It's a time for joy so if you overindulge, stay out too late or eat too much, it's OKAY. Eat, drink, be merry, and get back to your routine the next day. 🥂
🪩🍾Navigating Social and Networking Obligations
For some, this season can be overwhelming and stressful, but totally it's manageable. It's also one of those times when the line between being fun and letting a little lose and letting it all hang out during a company holiday party can be awfully fine. Let's leave the regret behind.
A few tips to keep that line from being crossed and keeping your office:
Limit alcohol consumption: While having a drink or two is common and helps you loosen up a bit, don't let it get out of hand. 🍻
Set Realistic Expectations: Don't feel like you need to talk to everyone, having a few meaningful conversations is great.💬
Practice Active Listening: Showing genuine interest in others and what they have to say can be more impactful in forming connections than what you say. Try listening to hear them instead of listening to speak.👂🏻
Self-Care Post-Event: After events engage in some relaxing activity that you enjoy. This manages any residual stress and keeps your frame of mind positive.💆🏻
These events are opportunities to have fun and be social within your professional sphere, so enjoy them!
Credit: GIPHY
Mindfulness and Living in the Now 😮💨
Mindfulness is a great practice any time of the year but can be an especially helpful tool now. Staying centered amidst the chaos can be tough but here are a few tools you can put into practice to stay balanced.
Focused Breathing: How to Do It: Sit or stand comfortably, close your eyes, and take slow, deep breaths. Inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, and hold out for a count of four. Concentrate solely on your breathing. Benefits: This technique helps calm the mind, reduces stress, and refocuses your attention on the present moment.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: How to Do It: Slowly tense and then relax each muscle group, starting from your toes and working up to your head. Hold the tension for five seconds, then release. Benefits: It relieves physical tension and helps you become more aware of bodily sensations, diverting your mind from stressors.
Mindful Observation: How to Do It: Select an object within your immediate environment and focus on watching it for a minute or two. This could be a plant, a cup of coffee, or even a picture on the wall. Notice every detail about it. Benefits: This practice helps clear your mind of distractions and trains your focus and attention.
5-4-3-2-1 Technique: How to Do It: Engage all your senses to ground yourself. Acknowledge five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. Benefits: This sensory awareness exercise is excellent for reducing anxiety and bringing your focus back to the present.
Guided Visualization: How to Do It: Close your eyes and picture a peaceful place – a beach, a garden, or a childhood favorite spot. Imagine yourself there and try to involve all your senses in the visualization. Benefits: Visualization helps to relax the mind, providing a mental escape from stress, and promotes a sense of calmness.
Finding what works for you is the most important part. Sometimes when we aren't used to these practices they can feel a bit weird or awkward. Just as we practice new skills, these might take time to feel natural but I encourage you to try them, find what you like the best, and keep working with it.
Planning for the Year Ahead 🗓️
It's amazing that 2024 is just a mere 5 weeks away from the writing of this article. Staying in the present as much as possible is the first goal, taking time to reflect on the last year, what went right, what went less than right, and what you want next. Putting something down on paper can help put your mind at ease which helps free up some mental space for enjoying the end of the year.
Thinking about how you want to start and how you want to feel next year is the first step in achieving your 2024 goals.
We only get one December 2023 so make the absolute most of it. Enjoy friends, family, and colleagues, and remember to enjoy being you!
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I help high-achievers transform not just their health, but their performance and well-being, through tailored strategies that fit into their hectic lives. It's all about turning everyday stress into success and optimal health.
**If you want more ways to stay healthy this holiday season you can download my free resource here. **
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