Today I’m sharing some tips and tricks on how to stay healthy over the holidays.
Stick to your routine as much as possible
While things are always a bit different over the holidays, try to keep to your schedule as much as possible. It’s a lot easier to make healthy decisions when you’re sleeping well, getting in workouts, and eating your usual healthy food.
If you’re usually someone who workouts in the mornings before work, then continue to workout even if you have time off from work. If you’re travelling and don’t have access to a gym, try out a new yoga studio in the city you’re in, do an at home workout that doesn’t require any equipment, or simply go for a walk. There’s almost always an option to get in some movement and get sweaty.
If you usually meal and and prep, continue to do that as much as possible throughout Christmas and New Year’s. Of course you’re not going to have the usual meals on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, but all the other days in there you can make sure you have some healthy options.
Make smart choices
First off, it’s important to remember that the holidays only come around once a year and it’s OK to celebrate and enjoy them! Christmas would be a miserable experience for me if I never allowed myself to have one of my favorite chocolate peanut butter squares or a beer.
I like to plan my indulgences. If I love Chex mix, but only kind of enjoy candy canes, you better believe I’m picking the Chex mix over the candy canes every single time. I’m going to eat those things that I love and say no to the ones that I just feel “eh” about.
One of my favorite Christmas treats are shortbread cookies. I’d much rather have a couple of those than just about any other cookie at this time of year. I typically only ever have them over the holidays, so it makes them an extra special treat for me.
Give yourself a break
It’s not the end of world if you end up eating more than you had planned over a few days. It’s okay if you didn’t get in every single workout that you had wanted to in favor of spending time with your family and friends instead. Christmas only comes around once a year. Enjoy it!
If you make healthy choices the other 50 weeks of the year, you can afford to indulge yourself and eat the treats and skip the workouts that you usually wouldn’t at any other time of the year. 2 weeks isn’t going to undo the 50 weeks of healthy decisions you make.
Don’t skip on your sleep
I know there will inevitably be late nights with Christmas parties, travelling, and nights spent with family and friends. But when you can, make sure that you get an adequate amount of sleep.
It’s important to make sure that you’re well rested. You want to enjoy your time with others instead of potentially getting sick or being exhausted. Like the point above, I find that sticking to my routines as much as possible really helps with getting to sleep and waking up like I usually would.
I have my phone set for the blue light filter on it to come on as the sun sets. I’ve found that putting my phone and computer away and not watching TV for at least an hour before bed really helps me. Giving myself the time I need to wind down before bed is so helpful for myself. The same goes for the holidays.
Be mindful of your alcohol intake.
Allow yourself to fully enjoy your time with family and friends, but be aware that the calories from alcohol do add up – especially if you’re having more than a couple each night. Think about if the extra calories will be worth it – they might be!
I end up spending time with people that I may not see at any other time of the year. It’s worth it to me to have a drink or two when I’m with them. I want to be able to enjoy myself while I’m at that Christmas party. That may include a drink or two.
On the other hand, drinking too much ends up making me feel pretty terrible the next day. It’s not worth it to me to drink that much. There’s a fine line between having a few drinks and overdoing it.
Stay hydrated
Speaking of alcohol, make sure that you’re drinking enough water. Between travelling, increased alcohol intake, and not having your usual routine, make sure you’re drinking enough.
I’ve found that keeping a water bottle close by that I can refill is key to making sure that I’m drinking enough throughout the day. Not only is it a visual reminder to stay hydrated, but it also makes it really easy to do.
Take time for self-care
Being healthy isn’t just your physical health, but also your mental health. The holidays can mean that it feels like you have non-stop commitments, events to go to, and people to spend time with. Make sure to take some time out of all of that to take care of yourself.
If the holidays are a tough time for you, do what you need to do to take care of yourself. That might mean turning down invitations to holiday events or making sure to keep up your routine of meditation. It might mean making sure that you have time to workout daily if that’s a stress reliever for you. Make sure you do whatever you need to do. Need some self-care ideas? Check out my top 5 self-care ideas post.
Share one way that you stay healthy over the holidays in the comments below.