How To Stay Mindful, Active, and Feeling Great This Holiday Season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season is loved and waited for all year round for so many reasons. But it can also be stressful and busy, with to-do lists that never seem to get any shorter, no matter how many tasks you manage to cross off. It can also be a time that is challenging for anyone who is trying to stay mindful about their eating habits.

Perhaps you started the intuitive eating journey a few months ago when there were fewer social events, or you recently started it and feel overwhelmed. Listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues can be difficult during the holiday season when food is constantly being pushed on you. You may have a hard time saying no to your host who keeps insisting you eat more holiday cookies and candy and you end up eating past the point of fullness. That is why it is especially important now to hone into your body’s hunger and satiety cues,

During the holiday season, you may also be feeling a little down. In fact, many people experience these lonely and sad feelings during the holidays. One way to help is to incorporate some healthy movements into your daily routine. The key is to find a movement that you enjoy doing. Of course, if you are feeling overwhelmed, do not hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional.

Mindful Eating During the Holidays

Food is the center of many holiday parties, and it can often be hard to say no when some are offered, even when you are feeling full. Here are some helpful tips to keep you mindful and feeling good throughout the holidays, no matter what you eat:

1. Take a break before taking seconds. Give your brain a couple of minutes to catch up with your stomach. Before taking a second helping, take a 10-minute break. . Make conversation, check in with your belly. When you recheck your appetite, you might realize that you really aren’t hungry anymore, or you just want a small second portion.

2. Keep your distance. When at a party, don’t stand next to the table of food. Move to the side, it will make it harder for you to reach for more food mindlessly  while you talk. .

3. Put on your walking shoes. Taking a quick walk or finding time to do any kind of light physical activity during your day, or even between the meal and dessert, is a great way to keep you moving. You can also use this break between meals to check back in with your body and assess your hunger and fullness level.

4, Pay attention to what matters. While you might be worried about all the food around,  remember what the holidays are about and focus on enjoying your time spent with family and friends!

Mindful Movement

Getting exercise, even if it’s only a couple of minutes a day, is an amazing way to keep yourself mindful and feeling good. Here are some fun ways to integrate some exercise into your busy holiday routine.

1. Do squats while your food is in the oven. While your cookies are in the oven, or you’ve got something on the stove, see how many squats you can do in a quick 2-minute period. Make it a fun challenge and see if you can beat your own record!

2. Challenge your family to a plank-off. Make your family gatherings a little more interesting by challenging everyone to see who can hold the longest plank. Add a penalty to spice it up even more – whoever loses has to do the dishes!

3. Hit the stairs for some cardio. Whether you are decorating the house or cooking and cleaning and wrapping presents, it’s hard to make time to get to the gym. With this challenge, you don’t need to! Whenever you go up or down a flight of stairs in your house, go back and do it again a couple of more times.

4. Shovel the snow. It’s getting colder and the first snowfall can’t be too far away! Instead of looking at snow shoveling as a chore, or hiring the neighbors’ kids to do it for you, get out your shovel and put some work in.

5. Join the clean-up crew. Another chore that’s often dreaded. Make it fun! Put on some music and get your family and friends to join you in the clearing, washing, drying, stacking, and storing. It may not be the most strenuous workout, but it keeps you moving and that’s what counts!

The holiday season should be fun! And it will be, if you allow yourself to relax, and incorporate some of these small, but significant tips into your routine to keep you motivated, mindful, and feeling great!

Your Turn to Take Action: Is there something in particular that you are nervous about going into this holiday season? Let me know in the comments below!

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