October is a season of welcoming. In many parts of the country, the summer heat has given way to the crisp Autumn air. With this shift, we welcome the official start of fall, shorter days, pumpkin flavored everything, and the beginning of what will soon transform into the holiday season.
From Halloween through New Year’s Day, there are endless opportunities to indulge on candy, cookies, and every other kind of treat you can imagine! In the weeks that precede the festivities, most people go about their days like normal. Once the holiday season is in full swing, so many of us let our workout routines slide, and we eat a diet that looks nothing like it does during the rest of the year. Once the new year has arrived, it is no surprise that so many people have set weight loss and wellness resolutions!
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As you welcome this coziest of months, consider the amazing opportunity that sits in front of you at this very moment. You have the ability — right here and now — to create a plan to be intentional with your health and wellness during the rapidly-approaching holiday season. The beauty in doing this is that there are no right or wrong answers!
Unsure where to start? Explore six of my favorite ways to introduce intentionality into the coming months.
Envision how you want to feel on January 1, 2022
You’ve likely heard about the strategy of working backwards to solve a problem. The same is true for your goals! Rather than working in a forward direction — deciding what you will/won’t do during the holiday season — fast-forward to the end. Ask yourself, “how do I want to feel when I wake up on January 1, 2022?” Your answer will provide you with some amazing insight that can inform your health and wellness choices in the coming months.
Want to feel the same way that you do right now? Maintain your current habits as much as possible. Are you ok with feeling a little bloated in order to enjoy your holiday foods to the fullest? Make peace with this decision today. Don’t want to have a pounding headache (thanks, Champagne!)? Limit or eliminate your alcohol consumption on New Year’s Eve. Whatever your answer is, make choices that support your goals.
Plan to indulge
Being healthy during the holiday season doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy yourself! Eating celery sticks and drinking water while others gather around a sumptuous holiday meal doesn’t earn you a medal. As part of being intentional with your health choices, build in times that you’ll be indulging. Whether you love Thanksgiving pies, Christmas cookies, or an extra serving of latkes on Hanukkah, pre-plan the times you will have extra of your favorites.
Design a holiday season workout routine
Seemingly overnight, the holiday season kicks off in a flurry of activity. Each day, there’s a new party, festival, or school event. Before your days become filled, design a personalized workout routine for the holidays. Having the expectation that you’ll be able to follow the exact fitness routine you are doing now is unrealistic. Decide in advance what is reasonable for you, and what comfortably fits into the usual holiday commitments you have. And then expect to be flexible. Have a Plan B. And a Plan C.
Related Post: How to Build Better Habits With the 3 Step “Habit Loop”
Gift yourself a couple of “bonus” days
Even if you have exceptional self-control, nobody’s perfect. There will be days where an unexpected cookie platter, pizza party, or holiday happy hour pops up. Rather than feeling deprived and not participating in the joy and festivities, grant yourself three “bonus” days (or whatever number feels right to you). This is similar to what most people call a “cheat” day, which is a term that can quickly cause a negative mindset. All foods fit into a healthy lifestyle. Just not all of them all of the time.
Redeem your “bonus” days when you want to indulge at times that you’ve not set aside (see tip #2). Doing this allows you to plan, in a way, for the unanticipated. It also helps you overcome any kind of guilt or shame that you might otherwise feel from eating and drinking your favorite holiday treats. When redeeming a bonus day, you can immediately dive into the fun and enjoyment — with zero judgement!
Build healthy habits into your holiday routine
Of course, if you want to stay healthy over the holiday season, every day cannot be full of pastries, candy, cookies, and the like. Striving for balance in your diet is a great way to ensure that you’re getting essential nutrients, and that you aren’t consuming excess fat, sugar, and salt.
Be intentional about building healthy habits into your holiday routine. This will look different depending on the day. Attending a holiday party? Bring a healthy dish to pass around the table. Looking for a fun way to get into the spirit of the season? Sign up for a holiday 5K run in your area. There are so many creative ways to invite healthy habits into your life through the end of the year. Not every celebration has to center around food.
Upgrade your self-care routine
Another area that too many people let slide during the holidays is their self-care routine. With the busy (and sometimes exhausting) pace of life at this time of year, it is super important to care for yourself. Rather than cutting corners with your self-care routine, upgrade it! Prioritize your sleep, nutrient intake, physical activity, and all other facets of your health. When you are ultra low on time, just five minutes can make a massive difference in your day. Use those precious moments for guided meditation, deep breathing, stretching, a quick play session with your dog, or to blend a vitamin-rich smoothie.
However you decide to use these tips, it is important to reiterate that there are no wrong answers! You are not competing against anyone for the “Healthiest Holiday Habits” superlative. Being intentional means doing what is right for your life and preferences — not anyone else’s!
DAWN MCGEE
Dawn McGee is a certified and licensed Nutrition Evangelist and a long-time foodie, she focuses on both the health and joy of food as fuel for your body. She is a driving force in bringing education on healthy eating to more people through her community, my “Reclaim Your Life, One Bite at a Time” programs, and my book “365 Days of Healthy Living”. Her hope for you is that you live a life you love, without being hungry, feeling deprived, or giving up your glass
