5 Tips to stay Healthy and Happy through the Holidays
Ahhh the holidays. The crisp air, the effervescent feeling that seasons are changing and unfortunately that means your habits start to change too. It always starts the same. An innocent pumpkin latte and a nagging feeling that you better get to the store before they run out of every good thing. Eight lattes later you get the sense that you are losing control a little so you start the self pep-talks that leave you with that lackluster feeling. Before you know it anxiety has crept in and brought a terrible snacking habit along with it. Now you can’t remember exactly why you ever wanted a salad for lunch or why you enjoyed hiking or yoga or self-care rituals at all. You think you are “just too busy for all that stuff.” This my friends is the start of holiday insanity.
But you don’t have to let it get that far. If you’re already there, you can turn it around today. Here are 5 tools to help you stay true to your health goals whether it be weight maintenance, weight loss or stress relief.
- Stay Mindful. The rush and hurry can take the joy out of the holiday. Take one task at a time and remember it doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Take a walk. Walking is one of those long overlooked stress reducers. It gets you out of the house, it’s good exercise and it can even give you a greater perspective on what is happening inside the house. It may be interesting to take a moment to look at your house from the outside and notice how calm everything looks from here.
- Drink an entire glass of water before you eat. Here is a secret. Most people mistake thirst for hunger. Water can fill your belly and leave you less room to over-indulge.
- Don’t skip meals. There are a lot of things to think about so make sure you add yourself to your priority list. Skipping meals slows down your metabolism and causes you to eat more when you finally do eat. It also causes your brain to slow down and your sugar to get too low causing a poor mood. Stay fueled and hydrated.
- Remember today is a day just like any other. Most people feel stress through the holidays because there is so much expectation of what that day is “supposed to” be. It’s supposed to be perfect, or you’re supposed to have the right centerpiece, or the family is supposed to get along. Remember, today is just another day and it’s only 24 hours long.
I wish you many blessings this holiday season. May it be your best one yet!
Kellie Lupe-Smith is a certified Hypnotherapist and Yoga Teacher. She is the owner of Burbank Hypnosis and Simi Valley Hypnosis. Her mission is to help those who suffer from stress, weight issues or breaking bad habits so they can live the life they deserve. Her background includes Neuro Linguistics, Mindfulness Meditation, Yoga Philosophy and Advanced Hypnosis. Contact: www.burbankhypnosis.com (818) 850-8099
