The Holisticniss Holiday Survival Guide
Friends, where did the year go?
Christmas is around the corner and ‘tis the season for parties, cookies, shopping and exhaustion. But it’s also the season of sharing, giving, caring and celebrating with friends and family. It’s the hap-happiest season of all, right?
For some, it’s the most exhausting season of all too, with work deadlines piling up, kids dance recitals, charity bake sales, and family obligations. It can feel like everyone wants something from you and like you’re getting pulled in every direction.
How will you get through it in one piece while preserving your sanity? Well, you can start by making yourself a golden maca latte (or a beetroot maca latte) and reading the rest of this post. Go ahead, make that latte, I’ll wait.
Here are my top tips to help you survive the holiday season.
Just say NO
Yes. You read that right. Say No. You don’t have to do everything for everyone and be everywhere. What’s really important that you absolutely can’t say no to? and what are the nice to dos that you can absolutely walk away from? Make a list of priorities and stick to it. Politely decline invites to holiday gatherings and events that won’t bring you true joy, and cut down on your holiday to do list by focusing on the things that really matter for the holidays, your presence, not the presents.
Take a time out or two
When things get busy and we get pulled in different directions, it’s easy to neglect the most important thing of all, self care. In this age of “productivity” we’ve forgotten to stop and take a pause, to recharge our mind, body and soul. But here’s the thing, if you’re not taking care of yourself, no one is going to do it for you and more importantly, you’re going to burn yourself out and not be able to take care of the people who depend on you. So, you fill your cup first because you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Plan ahead
Whether you’re hosting or invited to a holiday event, planning ahead is key to avoid being overwhelmed. Plan ahead by making a list of all the things that have to be done and give yourself plenty of time to do them. Start a week early if you can. Ask others for help, assign tasks to family members and delegate some things to your partner, children, parents. The more the merrier right?
Stay Hydrated & nourished
When you’re busy doing all the things, it’s easy to neglect things like drinking enough water or eating a good meal. It’s also a time of year when we’re presented with a lot of options, from cookies, to hot chocolate and alcoholic beverages that make it easy for us to indulge and even skip a proper meal because of it. I’m all about balance. It’s the season and you shouldn’t feel guilty for indulging, but be aware that you’re doing it, listen to your body, and give it what it needs. I try not to make too many rules for myself and my clients around this time of year, except to say always remember to eat mindfully and intuitively, regardless of the time of year.
Relax your mind and body
When you’re constantly on the go, your body goes into fight or flight mode which causes an adrenaline rush and elevated cortisol levels. This is bad news for many reasons. Meditate, exercise, do some yoga or pilates, spend some time in nature, take a stroll through the Christmas markets, attend a laughter yoga class and remember to breath. All of these things are effective stress management tools that will help you calm the mind and body and feel more relaxed this holiday season or any other time of year.
Get quality sleep
Like much of the above, getting good quality sleep tends to get the back burner when we get busy. But the reality is, there will never be enough hours in a day to get everything done and please everyone. Getting quality sleep goes hand in hand with many of the tips noted above. Manage your holiday to do list by saying no to the less important things, take some me time out for yourself, engage in activities that relax your mind body, eat well and stay hydrated and plan ahead for your commitments and obligations to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Do all of this and you’ll improve your chances of getting good quality sleep because you won’t be tempted to stay up late playing the catch up game and you won’t toss and turn all night because you’re overwhelmed by the never ending to do list.
