Being thought of as “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year,” the holidays tend to be a time that brings family and friends together to enjoy lots of food, drinks, sweets, and good cheer. It also tends to be when fitness routines and healthy eating are abandoned, sleep schedules are forgotten, and stress levels climb. All this change can take a toll on your body and mind, leaving your routine a mess and you discombobulated with little hope of returning to normal.
There is no need to worry or regret your choices. Enjoying the fun and excitement of the holiday season with family and friends is essential to creating a happy, healthy life. Embrace the moments and plan to pivot back to your “normal” routines once the holiday fun stops.
At Fitness Powers, we can help. Our team has shared below six quick and easy tips we use to reclaim our “normal” and revive from all the holiday fun.
1. Give yourself a breather!
The holidays can drain you physically and mentally after the holidays, so find your happy place where you can spend some quiet time alone and reconnect with yourself. Do something that allows you to find peace and feel contentment—for example, journaling about all the positive experiences of the holiday season.
2. Get outside!
Being in the sun and enjoying the fresh air is a great way to relax your mind and redirect your thoughts. Take a walk focusing on what you see, feel, and hear.
3. Create a plan!
Having a plan is a powerful step in returning to a “normal” routine. It allows you to reflect on your daily routines to identify the habits required to create change. A clear plan can also influence how we feel and think about our ability to change.
4. Create Motivation!
We don’t automatically have motivation, so we must create it. Finding resources that build up our drive, knowledge, and support to make positive change can be done in various ways. Connect with a fitness professional, such as The Fitness Powers team; find an online resource like Participaction or listen to a podcast on wellness topics, such as “How To Accelerate Your Wellness By Clarifying The End Result” on Podtail are a few examples.
5. Get your Sleep!
A good night’s sleep is a vital component of overall health. Allowing your body and mind time to rest and recover leads to more focus, energy, and patience during the day, all of which are needed to change back to your “normal.”
6. Dump the Sugar!
Not everyone can go cold turkey so take it one step at a time. Start with something simple and doable. For example, give half your sweets away if you don’t have the willpower to remove all of them. Put the rest in the freezer, where you don’t see them all the time. Out of sight, out of mind.
Remember, creating change isn’t all or nothing. Even one small positive step moves us forward, so as the holiday fun ends, give yourself time and celebrate all those little wins as you pivot back to normal.