With pretty twinkling lights, gift exchanges, and opportunities to wear a sparkly dress or shoes, the holiday season can bring so much joy. It‘s also a season for having extra items on my to-do list, like gift buying and party planning. With that also comes temptation to eat more cookies and drink more cocktails than usual. I might also stay out late and skip some workouts.
Less time for self-care, fitness and pursuing wellness goals can stressful, especially for people who are passionate about their routines. But it also can be an opportunity to re-evaluate your wellness goals for the season, says Jamie L. Friend, MBC-HWC, a wellness coach at Mayo Clinic.
Here’s how:
Reflect on last year
Start by thinking back to last year’s holiday season, Friend suggests. Without judging your past self, take a few minutes to take notes on:
- What went well?
- What did you get too much of or not enough of?
- What do you want to do differently this year?
From there, you can decide what your wellness priorities are for the holiday season and how they fit in with your other goals. For example, can you be flexible with your bedtime so you can linger with old friends at a holiday party? Could you break your calorie goals for a day, so you can participate in the annual family cookie baking extravaganza? You get to decide where you need to stand firm and where you have some wiggle room.
“Some people try to do too many things over the holidays,” Friend says. “You have more social engagements, you have more commitments with the holidays and you think you can keep doing the same thing when you really might need to cut back a little bit.”
If you’ve already made great progress on your other goals, maybe you can pull back on a few. You might find that you don’t need to carefully track your food, but you do need to go to bed by 11 p.m. to be your best the next day.
Set a goal to connect
Social connection is an important part of a healthy life. So, if you’re missing your daily run to spend time with people you love, that’s still a wellness win.
“When you look at longevity, it’s relationships that keep us living long,” Friend says. “You can shift your perspective and say, ‘For this time period, I’m going to let this be my No. 1 goal’ and really embrace that.”
You can even set goals around it, Friend suggested. For example, challenge yourself to have meaningful conversations with at least three people or learn two new things about your brother over the next month.
Have a backup plan
You might not have access to your gym or regular equipment while you’re visiting family. Friend suggests having a backup in place. So you can’t go to your Tuesday spin class, but could you gather your nieces and nephews for a sledding outing or go for a daily walk with your mother-in-law?
“We’re more likely to have success when we have a backup plan instead of saying ‘It has to be 60 minutes of running at this speed,'” Friend says, “With some flexibility, you’re still moving and that matters.”
So see how you could change your goals for the season. Let the steps you take while shopping or going up and down the hill while sledding count.
“You can be achieving and accomplishing in a way that better fits your lifestyle for that month of the holidays,” Friend says.
Get back on track
One day of enjoying holiday meals and staying up late is not going to throw all your goals off. Try not to let feelings of shame or guilt creep in. Instead, focus on what happens the next day or at the next meal. That way you’re being flexible on your goals rather than letting one missed workout turn into a month without physical activity.
“Don’t forget to notice how many times you got back on track too,” Friend says. “That’s a win.”
Reflect back
At the end of the holiday season, take some time to look at your progress. Just like you did at the beginning of the season, you can think about what went well and what you wished you had more of. You can make notes for yourself for this time next year.
Relevant reading
Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health, Fourth Edition
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