You can “Keep Your Sh#t Together over Christmas”!
How about a little Christmas Challenge ??? Now, this may seem like a strange time to start a challenge, but this is a little self challenge ….. and NOW is the perfect time !
Can you party on through Christmas and “Keep Your Sh#t Together “?
- Challenge yourself to finish this year and spend the christmas break feeling great instead of overwhelmed, exhausted or even guilty.
- Move into the new year feeling balanced and keep your sh#t together !
- Set an intention that you can stick with.
- The 1st if January is just another day …… this year, don’t make it the day you start to fail once again for the year.
This challenge doesn’t involve doing any more and don’t be hesitant because you have so much on your plate and being “too busy” is just a an excuse for it’s not a priority.
So How Do You Do It ??
It all comes down to a little christmas planning !
- Planning is a way to add detail to the decisions you have made a commitment too.
- Planning is a way to empower yourself once you have a clear awareness of your goals.
Stop thinking of this time over Christmas and New Years as a lost cause and a time to “blow out”. Enjoy time with family and friends but don’t sabotage yourself. Wake up each day feeling energetic and fresh.
It’s the intentional action that creates results, not the date you’ve decided to change.
Set your Christmas intentions and make them achievable. Don’t set yourself up to fail but challenge yourself to break some of those crappy habits.
Make it doable. Don’t completely restrict yourself and don’t judge yourself, it’s not productive and we need to live a little.
5 Ways To Help You Keep Sh#t Together Over Christmas !
Drinking
- Stay hydrated.. Water, water and then more water ! Without adequate hydration, we often feel hungry, sluggish, and tired.
- Not all drinks are created equal!! Clear liquor contains fewer congeners that contribute to the severity of hangovers. Drinks like vodka & gin are also a lower calorie option mixed with soda water and a little lime over soft drinks or tonic water.
- Alternate your alcoholic drinks with a sparkling or still water. This keeps the calories down and will drastically reduce that hangover.
- Replace the cocktails with mock-tails and pick your drinking events! Yep….. make a plan. Save the drinking for the times you really want to have a few. Just drink smart.
- Limit your intake of empty calories like alcohol, which is pure sugar and has no nutritional value.
- Drive – Don’t Uber! This will make you accountable.
Eating
- Check out the menu. It is much easier to stay on track if you have already planned ( yep, there’s that word again )
- Eat Mindfully and go in a little bit full ! Try a protein shake to fill up before an event. This will ease the cravings to aimlessly pick and only.
- Eat till you are 80% full, don’t keep going till you feel like you are about to explode.
- Don’t skip the pudding …FFS it’s Christmas, just don’t need to eat the whole pudding and don’t take home the leftovers….. unless it’s the ham or pork, take home as much protein as you can get … meal prep nailed!
Exercise
- Keep your exercise routine or set yourself a new one that works for you over the christmas holiday period.
- A modified or condensed workout is better than a missed workout.
- Even smaller workouts will keep you feeling energised & healthy, mentally and physically during the holiday season.
- One of the main culprits associated with stress, depression, and weight gain is a reduction in structure within daily routines. Maintaining your exercise schedule provides structure to your day.
- Staying on track with food intake will aid in maintenance of sleep schedules, and provide a framework so you can prioritize the demands of the holiday season
Recovery
- Keep your bedtime routine as much as possible.
- Sufficient sleep is essential for good mood, good health, and good outlook — exactly what you want during the holidays. It can “help transition your mind and body from wake to sleep.
- Christmas time should include some recovery and rest. Take some time out.
- If it’s not there you won’t eat it ! Don’t be tempted to buy those high calorie christmas snacks just because they are dancing in front of you at the checkout. If they are in the house of course you are going to eat them.
Don’t Wait Till January
- If you fall off the bandwagon, remember: Don’t wait for Monday or the new year. Get back on track right away.
- Don’t be that person that sets January 1 as the date you start to change! How often have you stuck to your New Year’s resolutions anyway ? https://innerfit.com.au/new-year-resolutions/
- A small blip in your routine won’t wreck your goals or your progress, but a weekend full of indulgences or lack of sleep will throw you off a lot longer.
Good luck and have a great festive season!
You got this!