3 Ways to keep your peace through the holidays🎄

Do the holidays stress you out?

Same, sistaaa.

The to-do lists are long, the days feel short (& dark), there’s the travel plans, parties, entertaining, endless cooking, and all the while you’d like to look good, feel good, and have fun.

Is it possible to have it all?!

Many of my clients find this time of year to be overwhelming, especially when they are working toward a fitness or fat loss goal.

Navigating judgment and/or pressure from friends or family to eat or drink a certain way makes it all even more difficult.

That’s why I decided to write this and share my top tips for keeping your peace and staying on track through the holiday season.

1. Get your mind right:

• No matter how many things you have to do, you can’t pour from an empty cup. You don’t have to do it all, but you have to do something for yourself each day before pouring into others (be proactive vs. reactive).

  Wake up 15-30 minutes earlier and do something for YOU before the day begins:

  • Meditate (try “No Sleep Deep Rest” with Andrew Huberman)

  • Read a few pages (highly recommend Atomic Habits if you haven’t read it!)

  • Journal your gratitude and intentions for the day

  • Coffee + Skincare routine (right now I’m into cleansing, ice rolling my face, and then putting on vitamin c from Dr. Dennis Gross)

  • Breathwork (try this from Wim Hof)

  • Walk outside (love walking with a podcast)

  • Quick workout (workouts through my fitness app are 50% off now through the end of the year - apply here to get in on them and be sure to select “virtual training”)

  Which one will you add to your routine?

  2. Set boundaries and be intentional:

  Seems obvious, but I think many of us just go through the motions the way we always have, expecting to be able to juggle it all and then getting disappointed when we realize we can’t.

  Sound like you?? Let’s keep the theme of being proactive here:

  • Are your parents judgmental and bound to comment on your weight? Send them a text before you go home to let them know that you are not accepting feedback or comments on your body and to keep it to themselves!

  • Do you get anxious thinking about having less control over food when you’re traveling or not at home? Order meals from a local meal prep company that you can bring with you or pick up for at least breakfasts/lunches while away. Buy your own groceries and offer to make things that you know make you feel good, so others can enjoy with you.

  • Do you really need to stress about losing another 4 lbs this month, or can you focus on maintaining your weight and staying active, then reel it in, even more, come January? Maintaining your weight and feeling good during the holidays IS a win - sometimes you just need to adjust your expectations.

  • Are you drinking more because you’re stressed and are really just looking for a way to unwind and decompress? Ask your friends to attend a workout class, go to yoga, or have a coffee date with you instead. See how this changes the way you feel.

  3. Write it all down:

  You’re ready to prioritize self-care, you’ve thought about your boundaries, and have adjusted your expectations for the month ahead.

  Now the only way to truly hold yourself accountable is to put it all in writing.

  Jot down:

  • 2-3 boundaries you want to hold strong around friends/family

  • 1 habit you’ll stick to in order to prioritize yourself each morning

  • 1 goal/intention for the month ahead - how do you want to feel physically, mentally, and emotionally?

  Put this paper somewhere you can see it every day. The holidays come quickly and they’ll be over in a flash. When you start to feel anxious or overwhelmed, remind yourself that you can only control YOU and your own peace, nothing else. You’ve got this. 💜