How to Be Healthy During the Holidays

It’s here. The time of year when our jeans are unbuttoned at the family table and our middles get a little bit squishier.

The holiday season.

As if this season isn’t hard enough on our bodies, add to it the fact that … well … 2020. We’ve been working from home where snacks are readily available, our gyms have been closed (and then opened, and then closed again), and many of us are seeking solace in comfort foods as we undergo this collective trauma.

So. How do we keep ourselves from going overboard, whether we’re dining with family or ordering take-out?

It’s simple: we focus on health.

Let’s start with food. I try not to focus on weight loss during the holidays. While that may be my goal at other times of the year, there are so many yummy foods and drinks of the season that focusing on weight loss would lead me to feeling deprived of the special stuff. Instead, I choose to focus on nourishing my body.

I make sure I get my vegetables, protein, fruit and plenty of water, but after that, I enjoy myself. The only restriction I place on the food I eat is to not stuff myself until I’m uncomfortably full.

Next, activity. If you love working out and want to continue to do that on the holidays, go for it. If, however, you struggle to work out and often do it out of guilt, go easy on yourself. The most important thing on holidays is to move your body in some way. That could mean standing on your feet all day in the kitchen, or taking your dog for a run. That could mean doing a TikTok dance with your holiday pod, or doing a bodyweight HIIT session. The key is to move your body in ways that feel natural and good to you, so that you don’t spend the whole day in a stagnant state.

Finally, headspace. If you are spending the day(s) with family members, remember that this year has been much more contentious than others. Tempers are likely to be high, and fuses are likely to be short. Disengage as much as possible to take care of your mental state. I usually do this by trying to change the subject or taking space away from the conversation (“Hey, dad, if you want to keep arguing about the election, I’ll leave the room. Or we could talk about our favorite flavors of ice cream.”)

If you set clear boundaries, as in the example, stick to them. If your family doesn’t respect those boundaries, that’s on them. Your priority is to take care of you and your health, and you’re the only one who can do that.

With each of these areas, we can easily feel a lot of guilt surrounding them. Guilt for eating slices from three different pies. Guilt for not going to the gym to “burn off” the calories from dinner (side note: that’s not a thing). Guilt for arguing or getting mad or not living up to expectations.

But, as your friendly holistic health coach, I officially give you permission to approach this holiday season guilt-free. I give you permission to release yourself from thoughts of what you “should” do, and empower you to do what feels good to you.

Now. What’ll you do with this gift? What feels good to you?