Self care and the silly season
The holiday season is synonymous with being busy. For us business owners, it’s easy to let our health slip – opting to squeeze in that extra client or extra hour at the books before the next Christmas do! Although it’s important to indulge and allow yourself to enjoy those bubbles and late nights, it's easy to emerge in January feeling less than your best.
So how do you say yes to indulgence, while staying well over Christmas?
Christmas is a fun and exciting time of year, but it can also bring with it a lot of stress and pressure. All of a sudden, it seems like your business, your social life and your family life need twice the attention they normally do! Not to mention all that food which you might normally be saying no to.
The good news is that keeping yourself healthy doesn’t mean you can’t let your hair down every now and then. With a little bit of planning and flexibility, you can most definitely have your cake AND eat it.
Rather than focusing on strict regimented diets and exercise programs over the holiday season, experiment with putting your efforts into small consistent actions aimed towards a balanced lifestyle.
Staying well over Christmas
Here are 5 things to keep in mind this holiday season, so you can tackle the new year with your health, business and sanity intact!
1. Schedule in some time off
As business owners, we tend to become immersed in our work 24/7. We love it. We breathe it. But every now and then we need to come up for air.
Think of your week as a full seasonal cycle. Just as there is a need for great activity and high quality output (imagine summer), so too is there a need for slowness and downtime (just like in winter). Make sure you are making space for both of these seasons in your weekly life.
So schedule in some time to relax. No, really.
Actually, physically schedule in some relaxation time in your calendar.
You are much more likely to create and follow through with that time if you have actively allocated it.
Treat it like an appointment with one of your valued clients. Don’t cancel on yourself! If you need to say no to other things in your life in order to honour this commitment, then that’s what you need to do.
Taking time to relax, whether that means a walk along the beach, a massage, a movie, or whatever makes your heart beat slower, will give your body and mind a chance to replenish.
Burnout is all too common at this time of year, but can easily be avoided by proactively giving yourself time off. By allowing ourselves this down time, we increase our overall productivity. A rested mind is a focused mind.
2. Drink plenty of water
We all know that we’re supposed to be well hydrated throughout the day, but how often are we actually doing it?
Keeping yourself hydrated will help to reduce cravings, increase your energy, keep your skin in good health, as well as help your body to detox all those extra treats.
We often mistake feelings of thirst for hunger, so bringing in adequate water will also reduce overeating, and therefore let our digestive system have some room to do it’s job.
An easy way to keep on top of this is with a water bottle. Get plenty in during the morning, and start to ease off as you get closer to bedtime. You don’t want to spend the whole night wrestling with a full bladder!
Indulge all of your senses when drinking water. You may have heard that you eat with your eyes. I believe we drink with our eyes too. Drinking from a beautiful container can make the experience more pleasurable. Try infusing your water with different herbs or fruit. Simply pop them into your bottle and taste the unique flavours that they bring. If your bottle is prettier, or more fragrant, it may be easier to get more in.
3. Make sure you are eating plenty of fats and proteins
Fats and protein will help to stabilise your blood sugar levels, as well as keeping your energy levels sustained throughout the day. Try to include both of these nutrients at every meal.
If you’re heading out for a few drinks, make sure you have a meal beforehand that’s rich in good quality fats.
Avocados, nuts, coconut oil, seeds, and organic pastured eggs are all good sources.
Celebratory food tends to be high in carbohydrates, which are much quicker to break down in your body, and can spike blood sugar levels. This can lead to a subsequent dip in blood sugar, creating those feelings of lightheadedness, nausea, brain fog, and fatigue.
If you choose to indulge in a dessert during the week, try simply adding in a few nuts or seeds to the plate to get those slow-moving fats in. This will lower the blood sugar spike and keep your stress hormones at bay.
4. Mindful exercise every day
Just like your eating habits, how you approach your physical activity will have a huge impact on your stress levels and ability to keep your body in optimal health.
We all have busy timetables, and as Christmas draws near they will most likely get even busier. So keep things in nice small manageable chunks. Keep the mantra “quality over quantity” in your mind.
Small, consistent actions can lead to huge results.
Fitting in a brisk 20 minute walk at the end of the day, or a 15 minute yoga sequence, or 15 minutes of HIIT is manageable for almost everyone.
If you’re unable to leave your home because of sleeping babies, then log on to one of the many online fitness platforms that we have available to us. My favourite is YogaGlo, but there are many others to suit all tastes.
Or, you can head out to a local fitness studio. Getting in a weekly group workout will help to motivate you and keep you on track.
Exercise is well known to dramatically lower stress levels. It helps to balance your blood sugar, and keeps you at a healthy weight. A recent study showed that walking can lift your mood, even if you don’t expect it to.
Commit to moving your body for at least 15 minutes every day.
5. Consistency over perfection
Having a wine or two, a piece of chocolate, or some cake on the odd occasion, is not going to undo all your good health work. Rather than stressing over strict guidelines, simply bring in a little more flexibility and concentrate your efforts on portion control instead.
Stick to the basics – drink plenty of water, include at least 15 minutes of dedicated exercise, eat nutritious meals and give yourself adequate down time. Think about adding small habits to your routine, not denying yourself.
Again, choose quality over quantity.
Whatever treat you choose for yourself, make sure you slow down, get yourself present in the moment, and truly enjoy it. Have fun this holiday season. Take it easy.
Be kind to yourself, and keep your body and mind fighting fit.
