By Chrissa Hardy for HelloGiggles.com
It’s strange that a day filled with giving thanks can end in regret, isn’t it? Yet every year, that’s the feeling I experience before I go to bed. And Thanksgiving is a mandatory day to over-indulge, so why do I torture myself with this annual guilt? It’s because I know that the over-indulging won’t end on Black Friday. Really, that’s just the beginning. From Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve, we’re shopping, snacking, cooking, baking, noshing, drinking, dessert-ing and then digesting. We’re plagued with decorating, gift-buying, hosting parties, mingling at the parties of others and we’re trying to juggle all of these additional tasks on top of our normal hectic schedules.
We don’t even have time to ease out of our extra holiday “padding” before we need to squeeze into our snazziest cocktail attire and set goals to better our lives as the ball descends into the new year.
That is some serious pressure.
Wouldn’t you like to ring in the new year without the padding AND the guilt? I know I would. Here are four ways for you (and for me!) to stay on track through the holiday season and make your resolution list that much shorter and more manageable.
1. Get organized with to-do lists.
I make to-do lists for everything and I find that in times of chaos, creating these lists not only makes it possible for me to complete all of the necessary tasks, but it also calms me down. Seeing the big picture broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks is a stress-reliever. That goes for shopping lists down to dinner menus, and we’ve got 3 free meal planner worksheets you can download now.
2. Snack healthy.
Speaking of stress, the holidays can be extremely stressful. And stress can sometimes cause us to eat. Stress-eating usually involves whatever is sweetest and closest. To combat this, make sure you have a yummy (but somewhat healthy) snack alternative that you can nosh in times of need. Keep snacks like apples and almond butter, yogurt cups, fresh fruit, or this Pumpkin Hummus and vegetables stocked at home. For your purse, keep homemade trail mix, Kashi granola bars, Lara Bars, or dried fruit.
3. Get used to saying no.
Just because you’re at an office party and there are more sugary baked goods than people, that doesn’t mean you need to say yes every time someone offers to refill your plate. ‘Tis the season for pumpkin, cinnamon, peppermint and gingerbread-flavored treats, so DO enjoy yourself, just DON’T overdo it. Once again, that advice is as much for you as it is for me. Psst, I’m a sucker for anything cinnamon-flavored, like Saigon Cinnamon & Raisin Brown Bag Popcorn.
4. Make the time for exercise.
The low light of winter is upon us and it can be difficult to find the motivation to exercise. Put it on your to-do list (remember tip #1?) and stick to it. Try to see it as much-needed “you time” in the middle of the holiday madness. No matter how impossible it seems to make the time for it, you can do it. It will take some clever scheduling, but even 10 minutes of exercise, like these 3 yoga moves, is better than nothing.
Good luck, happy holidays and stay strong!
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