With all the craziness of the holidays, it can be easy to become a Grinch. We all remember Dr. Seuss’s grumpy guy who hated Christmas. But I am here to help you avoid that and keep the holiday spirit!!
Make Time for Yourself
Remember to practice self-care and take some time for yourself in the midst of the holiday stress! Build in time for yourself to protect your mental health. Take a bubble bath, read a book, or just take five minutes in your car between errands to chill out. With shopping, family time, and holiday events, it can all add up to a lot of stress if we aren’t careful! Make sure you have space to decompress if you need to.
Eat Well
To keep your body feeling good, aim for real food instead of all the sweets and holiday indulgences. You can certainly have some of those things, but try to make the majority of what you’re eating food that is fresh and natural! You’ll feel more energized if you do!
Keep Moving!
Make sure you have some time to move around! It been proven time and again, physical activity make you feel good! Do my On Demand, www.laurenfoxondemand.com classes at home if you don’t have time to get out of the house to exercise! If you want to get out, try taking a walk or jog or going to a class or working out at the gym. You could even make it extra fun and have a dance party at home with your kids! There are tons of ways to get moving, so try your best to make room in your schedule for it!! Your physical health is just as important as your mental health!
Make a List
Making lists can help with holiday stress, too. If you have ten things you need to do (I know I usually have more like twenty!!), then figure out which ones are “needs” and which ones are “wants.” If they’re all needs, then prioritize which ones are most important and urgent. Take care of those first, then tackle the rest! Break down big tasks into smaller ones, and don’t forget to ask for help from a spouse or friend when you need it! This is the time of year that always reminds me to help others, so I’m sure people around you feel the same! You’ll never know if you don’t ask.
Help Others
Giving help to other people is another way to ward off those Grinchy feelings! If you are fed up with all the chaos that tends to come with the holiday season, do something that puts your focus on someone else outside of yourself! Need help finding the right volunteer effort? Just ask your friends or turn to social media, there are many organizations looking for help during the holidays and all year long. Often times, that can help you remember what’s most important and relieve some of your stress. Giving to others always feels good, and it helps someone else, too!
Watch for Overspending
One of the biggest stressors during the holidays, or any time of the year, is money and finances. Santa Claus isn't going to dump a load of cash down your chimney, sorry. If you find yourself stretched this time of year due to buying gifts for people, work to stay within your means. If doing presents for others is too much, find other ways to give to them to show your appreciation! Make a gift if money is tight. It might mean more to the receiver than a store-bought gift anyway. Overspending is SO easy to do, so make a plan to avoid it! If you need to track your spending, set up a system. Be sure you aren’t letting the holidays become something negative—it should be a time of love and spending time with those we care about!
Whatever you find helpful for de-stressing this holiday season, remember to incorporate it into your routine! Use these tips to get started. Let me know what works! I love hearing from y’all and I'm always here to help!
Hope your holiday season is a wonderful one!
Lauren
Get Fit, Foxy and Fabulous, at Home or Away,
on YOUR schedule, on Any Device!