Millions of Americans file into the holiday season ready to maintain the wellness habits they’ve built through the year. But with a crush of office parties, family gatherings and tempting treats surrounding us this time of year, staying on track can feel challenging. Here are some basic tips and tricks to help you out!
Be good to yourself
Anything that you’re doing to support your health and wellness goals, should help you feel your best physically and mentally. If keeping up with your normal routine is causing extra stress or anxiety, then it’s worth evaluating how you can potentially rework your routine in a way that helps rejuvenate you. Avoid adding more “mental load” to your day by remembering to be good to yourself! This could mean swapping a cardio day with a light walk or meditation, taking a rest day to get extra sleep or indulging in your favorite treat guilt-free because you know your overall nutrition is great (we love 80/20!).
Don’t “sleep” on sleep
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults (including older adults) get at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night, yet nearly 40 percent of Americans get only six hours (or less) of sleep per night. Sleep quality impacts various factors of overall health and wellness including:
- Hormone production
- Energy levels
- Mood
- Cardiovascular, immune and brain health1
Making sleep a priority is a great way to make sure you keep on feeling your best. For more on sleep, check out our post 5 Tips to Improve Sleep Quality.
Indulge mindfully
The trickiest part of the holidays can be the tasty treats lurking absolutely everywhere. This time of year is made for indulging, so don’t beat yourself up about having your favorite treats. Like we said earlier, we’re big supporters of the 80/20 rule and this is a great tool to apply during the holiday season. And if some days look a little bit more like 50/50 – don’t sweat it! That’s part of life, just try to recalibrate towards healthier choices the next day.
Ease into exercise
If you’ve taken some time off, avoid charging back into your old fitness routine. Start out slowly and progress back up to where you were over the course of several workouts. Too much too soon can be counterproductive and increase the potential for injury. Instead, focus on progressing slowly back to your normal routine.2
With a bit of preparation and the right mindset, this winter season can be your most restful and rejuvenating season yet!
Sources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, March 2). CDC – how much sleep do I need? – sleep and sleep disorders. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 31, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html
- Cleveland Clinic. (2022, June 27). How to Get Back to Exercising After a Long Break. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-get-back-to-exercising-after-a-long-break
