Holiday Survival Guide: How to Balance Health and Enjoy the Holidays

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The holidays are a special time of year, but they can also be stressful and demanding. Between all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, and socializing with family and friends, it's easy to let your health fall by the wayside.

However, there are many simple ways you can maintain your wellness during these busy months — even if it just means finding 10 minutes a day to take care of yourself.

Set Realistic Expectations

• Don't overcommit to activities.

• Don't be afraid to say no.

• Don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect.

• Let go of the idea that you have to do it all perfectly, everything will be fine if you try your best.

Practice Gratitude Daily

Gratitude is the practice of being thankful for what one already has. In fact, gratitude can lead to an increase in happiness, health, and well-being. The holidays are an excellent time to practice gratitude as it brings us together with family and friends.

However, if you want to be happy during this festive season, it's important not to forget the little things that make up our everyday lives (like being grateful for that first cup of coffee in the morning).

Here are some tips on how you can teach your children some basic principles of gratitude:

• Talk about what they're grateful for at dinner each night. For example: "I'm so happy I have healthy food today." Or "I'm so happy that we got pizza tonight." This will help them focus on their positive experiences instead of focusing on their negative ones.

• Talk about why they're grateful - take time out each day before bedtime or in the morning before going out into the world (depending upon when you do this) and talk about why you're grateful for something specific or general (e.g., "I'm glad I’m your Mommy," or "I'm happy we live here"). This can be done by saying something along those lines yourself or asking him/her questions like "Do you know, I love you".

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Plan Ahead

Planning ahead is key to a healthy holiday. You’ll avoid stressful situations and anxiety while making it easier for yourself to make healthy choices.

• Get more sleep. Your body needs rest, so don’t push yourself too much during the holidays. Try going to bed at 10 instead of 11:30 or 12 on Christmas Eve, or even earlier if you can swing it (though this isn’t always easy). If you need help getting up in time for church or family gatherings, remember to set your alarm.

• Avoid unhealthy food choices by bringing along some snacks that will keep hunger at bay through long meetings and parties. I like these grain-free crackers with chia seeds because they're low in calories but high in fiber so I don't feel guilty about eating them all day long.🙂

Nourish Your Body with Healthy Food Choices

Don’t let the holidays become an excuse to eat unhealthy foods. To ensure that you get all of the nutrients your body needs, focus on a balanced diet. Avoid processed foods and choose lean proteins like fish, chicken, and tofu over red meat.

Try to eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day, even if they're not as festive-looking as their canned counterparts. Limit salt intake by sticking with unsalted nuts or dried fruit for snacks (instead of salty chips).

Finally, avoid sugary drinks and sweets when possible so that you don't add extra calories to your diet—particularly after dinner. It’s important to stay hydrated, so drink plenty of water.

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Get Active Every Day

Exercise is a great way to keep your mind and body healthy. When you exercise, it releases endorphins that help reduce stress, improve sleep and make you feel better about yourself.

Exercise can also be used as a coping mechanism for grief or loss. When someone close to you dies, taking time to grieve is important in order to heal properly. But exercising can help you cope with those feelings of sadness by releasing endorphins that make people feel good about themselves again.

Exercise is one thing that has helped many people deal with depression over the years because it’s proven itself effective at reducing symptoms like anxiety and sadness while also helping relieve stress from everyday life situations such as work deadlines or family drama (which are common during holidays).

If you’re feeling depressed or anxious this holiday season, don’t be afraid to ask for professional help.

Give and Receive Help From Others

Asking for help is a skill that needs to be learned, but it can also be a great way to help others. In addition to asking for help, you should also give it away. For example, if someone asks you to take care of their pets while they're on vacation, do it.

If someone wants your expertise in something (like cooking), offer your services freely and with joy. If a friend asks you for advice on how they should handle an awkward situation with their spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend/parent/boss etc., offer up your wisdom.

Don't stress your body out or make yourself miserable -- you can have a healthy balance of work and play during the holidays.

This year, you really want to enjoy the holidays, but you also want to make sure you don't stress yourself out. Here are the tips for balancing work and play:

• Be realistic about your expectations. Make a list of your holiday priorities and check off items as they are completed. Don't feel guilty if all of them aren't accomplished in one day; just do what you can, when you can.

• Practice gratitude daily. Every night before going to sleep recite “I am thankful for…” and write down three things that made your day better than it was before saying it out loud (this is also a great way to notice what's bringing joy into your life).

• That way, when something goes wrong during the holidays—and trust me, there will be something—you'll have this list handy so that instead of letting negative thoughts spiral out of control, try turning them around with reminders of things in life worth being grateful for.

• And don't forget those traditions from childhood like reading stories aloud or listening together with the kids -- those memories last forever.

To Wrap It Up

Remember to enjoy yourself and the company of your family and friends. The holidays can be a stressful time, but it doesn't have to be. By following these tips, you will feel better physically while also enjoying the fun activities that come with this special time of year.

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Here are a few of our favorites.

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