It’s easy to be overwhelmed during the holiday season. There’s financial anxiety associated with the never-ending gift lists, family gatherings… family… and finishing up those pesky tasks at work you’ve been putting off. The best thing you can do to get through it all is to look after yourself. And if that means having another pig in the blanket at the company holiday party, you do it. Guilt-free.
We are bombarded with constant articles floating around the web at this time of year, telling us to swap that delicious cocktail for a healthier wine spritzer or encouraging us to have a healthy meal before going to a party, but who has the time! In all reality, we are running from work, applying lipstick in the elevator heading to the next networking holiday event to talk to other equally exhausted colleagues.
Do you know why these articles aren’t helpful? They are addressing unhealthy habits with a temporary solution. Taking care of yourself should be a year-round practice. Don’t wait for the “new year, new you” articles to come out (eye roll). Healthy habits don’t have to start in January and end before Spring. When we practice those habits daily, our behavior starts to change and before you know it, you are taking the stairs toting an almond milk latte without even thinking about it.
What I do know, is that no matter how many emails I see about financial wellness or tips for staying away from the party snacks, I can’t be stopped from buying my boyfriend that expensive gift he’s going to love. And no, I won’t put down that second... or third slice of pizza because I have worked hard all year to enjoy myself in moments like this.
People have a tendency to go overboard, but if you look at your health like a marathon, not a sprint (whether that means an actual marathon or a Netflix marathon), and you take care of yourself all year round, you are entitled to loosen the purse strings or belt loops a little.
There are a few healthy habits, that no matter what time of year, I hold onto as ritual:
Drinking lots of water. No one wants wrinkles!
Mindfulness.Taking a few minutes out for myself each day to meditate has given me the tools to better handle stressful situations, at work and at home. If you’re new to meditation, there are a lot of great apps out there to help you get started.
Sleep. Who doesn’t love to climb into bed and head off to dreamland? I want to enjoy myself at night, but also during the day, and I can only do that with 8 hours of sleep (more if I can get it because I don’t have kids, so it’s all about me me me).
Activity. I count walking to the coffee shop as exercise. No really, a yoga or spin class allows me to check out for an hour with no emails or texts demanding my attention; all while burning calories.
Food. I don’t skip breakfast in order to save calories for a party later that night. I fuel my body with nutritious food during the day so my body is better equipped to enjoy that cheese platter later - in moderation.
The best thing you can do this holiday season is to look after yourself, which may mean something different to you than it does to your cubicle buddy. And that is ok.
At TouchCare, we invest in our member's health. We recognize that everyone has a different health journey and we become a healthy habit you can rely on anytime of year.