Six Holiday Survival Tips was written with you in mind! While this is the season for giving and being with family, it can also be a stressful time. Well, here are six holiday survival tips to prepare you for the rest of the year.
Gratitude
The 1st of the six holiday survival tips is to cultivate gratitude. Instead of complaining about something (or someone), write about it in a journal. You will feel much more at peace. It sounds corny, but it is so true.
Write things like: “I am grateful for my children and my spouse for helping me realized the kind of person I want to be.” “I am grateful for my career for allowing and encouraging me to practice my play.” “I am grateful to my brother for teaching me patience.” You may be surprised at how pleased you will be to see certain family members.
Shower before your workout
The 2nd of the six holiday survival tips is to shower before you workout. I am encouraging you to exercise first, before anything else…almost. Get up and get your workout in first thing in the morning, before your real excuses stack up and another day has passed by leaving you farther away from reaching your goals. So, splash some water on your face, brush your teeth and take a quick shower if you have to get that morning workout in.
Prepare with a cleanse
The 3rd of the six holiday survival tips is to prepare with a cleanse. The idea and purpose of a cleanse (detox) is to rid your body of excess toxins that tax your liver and kidneys. There are mixed reviews about whether detoxing is good for you or not. Yes, your body has its own detox system, but when it, or any other system gets over worked or backed up because it is required to process and/or eliminate more than it can handle at any one time, it needs assistance. Detoxing can help you.
Create a dish
The 4th of the six holiday survival tips is to create a dish. Do not be afraid to cook something healthy to bring to those dinner parties you have. You do not have to gift another fruitcake, lol!
Call the host and slip in the idea that you’d love to bring a dish to share. Dress it up any way you would like: you are a clean eater now and you do not want to mess that up.
Indulge guilt-free
The 5th of the six holiday survival tips is to indulge guilt free. Haley Pomroy, author of The Fast Metabolism Diet says it so well, “guilt is more fattening than a bag of pork rinds”. And if you think about it, it is so true.
Stressing yourself out over a few extra calories, saturated fats, and cholesterol increases the cortisol circulating in your blood stream. Cortisol is a stress hormone and we don’t need all that stress floating around in our bloodstream. Studies have shown cortisol in our bloodstream increases fat storage in our bodies, especially (belly) fat storage. Ouch!
Focus on Daily Behavior
The 6th and final of the six holiday survival tips is focus on daily behavior rather than long terms goals. The holidays are not the time to start new or lofty health and fitness goals. We can only have so much self-control before we just have to give in and satisfy our emotional drives. So, focus on maintenance.
Find an accountability buddy (friend, family, or coach). Having someone to check-in with and keep you accountable can make all the difference between good intentions gone bad and true, lasting success.
Conclusion
These six holiday survival tips will help you. If you are committed to your success and you think a professional fitness coach can give you more help and the best results, give us a call at 240.200.4003 or schedule a free consultation and see if one of our programs is appropriate for you. Happy Holidays!
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