Festive Season: Staying on Track
By Lindsay Muir
We all know the best parts of life are the times spent with those you love. As the holiday season approaches we look forward to time spent with family and friends.
We look forward to celebrating the work of the year past and we celebrate to welcome in the new year.
More often than not this merry making is paired with indulgence, rest and relaxation. For some this brings a sense of anxiety creeping in as we start to imagine all our hard work throughout the previous months slipping away.
You may have tried in years past to avoid the merriment and festivities altogether, attempting to dodge the extra calories like a slow motion bullet in an action film. Or give up and give in completely and empty that box of Cadbury favourites in the work fridge as quickly as they are put there, to driving past your gym at record speed every day pledging to yourself you’ll start fresh on January 1st.
To live a balanced life you can bake those Christmas cookies with your kids and enjoy the pavlova on Christmas day without the guilt and really live your best life this festive season with a few simple tips.
Get organised
There’s a lot on, so get good at planning ahead. Schedule time for celebration and get togethers along with scheduling in your non negotiable time for you.
This might be an early morning walk, your favourite class at the gym, yoga, swimming or dancing. Whatever this looks like for you, this regular movement and time spent connecting to your body will help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed by your to do lists.
Plan your meals
Planning your weekly dinners, packing your lunches for work and eating a high protein breakfast to start your day will help you stay on track.
It will make it easier to stop reaching for those sweet treats that seem to keep on coming and allow you to enjoy the special occasions when they come up.
Keep Hydrated
Drink water. It will help you with these warm days, help flush toxins from the body and curb your enthusiasm for snacking. Keep a water bottle with you to make this an easy habit to maintain.
Get a good nights sleep
A good nights sleep will set you up for a great day ahead. With end of year parties and late night Christmas movies you may find your sleep suffering. Maintain your great sleep rituals as much as you can. Turn off devices 30 minutes before bed, create a relaxing environment and aim for 7 – 9 hours sleep a night as regularly as you can.
Practice gratitude and mindfulness
Everyday set aside a time, this might be before you even get out of bed to reflect on 3 things you are grateful for. Cultivating gratitude can have a profound affect on your wellbeing and mental health.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you feel like you’ve fallen of the wagon, just jump back on again. Remember true transformation is in the little habits done everyday and over time.
Keep up your great work and have a very merry festive season.
Lindsay Muir is a Yoga and Pilates teacher who has worked in the health and fitness industry for 8 years. She is a mum of 3 children and understands first hand how long the list is at this time of year especially when you have to check it twice. She has a passion for helping people feel their best by building simple habits that enrich their life and wellbeing. You can find her at Red Box Gym in Murwillumbah https://www.redboxgym.com.
