10 Tips to Beat Holiday Burnout
With the holidays approaching it can be tempting to press pause on a healthier lifestyle because there is SO MANY THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO BE AND PEOPLE TO SEE! You might find yourself saying, “I’ll get back into the swing of things once the new year hits.” But if you start this mentality around Halloween, that is 62 days or 15% of your year that you’re waiting to get started! Not to mention life happening the other 305 days! So, here’s what I suggest, look over these 10 tips to beat holiday burnout.
Learn to say no! Yep, you can do it. FOMO is a real thing! I get it! But how much do you really enjoy all the parties, events, socials, and gatherings if you’re beat? My go-to solution is to ask myself these questions and do my best to make a decision and stick with it:
Will it bring me joy?
Will it cause me more worry, stress or frazzle if I commit?
Will it pull me further away from my goals or help me find balance?
Automate a habit. If you know you are going to be busier, get some healthy habits automated now! Take 30-60 minutes this week to think about what go-to breakfasts, healthy snacks, or easy meals you can make.
Double Recipes and Freeze Half. I am a HUGE fan of making soup in September and October and freezing half of it for the busy season. Last December my husband and I were only home for 10 days of the month! With 2 days between each trip! Because I had automated breakfasts and had soup on hand, we barely had to go to the store between trips and I didn’t have to cook. No food or money was wasted and I had one less worry on my way home from each trip.
Make a few Freezer Meals. When life is extra busy, you will THANK YOURSELF to make a few FREEZER meals ahead of time for any busy season. A few hours of your weekend is well worth less stress and a healthy meal that would have otherwise been a drive-through. Try some of these freezer meals.
Look Ahead. Whether you are a planner or not, if you take 10-15 minutes on a Sunday morning or evening to plan your week, you can easily see potential roadblocks and challenges. This is also a time to consider what you might want to eat if you haven’t already done so. And have you blocked out time for rest? That’s crucial and the next tip!
Block off chunks of time for REST! This might seem counterproductive for a busy season, but when you rest, you are more efficient, focused, and clear. That means you can get more done in a limited amount of time. Maybe its 15 minutes of time sitting in the car listening to your favorite book before you go in your home after a long work day. Maybe you take a walk after lunch or dinner. It could be anything that fills your tank. You cannot serve others and operate at your best if you’re running on empty. Try to schedule one chunk of rest daily.
Plan for sleep. Create a sleep routine that helps you fall asleep when you would like. You might not hit this goal daily or when a holiday party occurs, but if you can get to it 5/7 days, that’s a win. If you already have a sleep routine, be ready to adjust it slightly during this holiday season. Sleep is when your body repairs and restores itself. It is what your body needs most to fight off pathogens, have a sharp mind, and experience joy!
Ask for help. I know we think we can do it all as women, but life is better when we have a system, and often times that system requires help from others. Talk with those closest to you and ask for help. You’d be surprised how eager people are to step up and help out. It could be that maybe during this time, you:
Swap a few dinners out to spend that money on getting someone to clean your house instead.
Ask a friend to take turns with the pick-up line.
Listen to your favorite audiobook while cooking so you can still enjoy “reading” during a busier season.
Enlist in a healthy meal delivery service if cooking isn’t going to happen. We like Blue Apron, but Hello Fresh is another good service with quality meals.
Be present. Whenever you do go out and enjoy a festivity, be wholly there. Soak up the sounds, sights, people, flavors, and moments. It’s so easy to get caught up in worrying about everything else, but living in that moment of JOY increases oxytocin and that’s your most powerful hormone!
Stick to your normal routine as best you can! It doesn’t have to be perfect, I mean it never is, right? But if you utilize the other 9 strategies, then you can set yourself up to stick to as normal of a schedule and routine as possible. There might be some things that you press pause on (like binging your favorite shows) but its crucial to keep healthy habits going. Even if that means you grab a salad at the airport instead of the fried chicken wings. Don’t discount the small victories and practice seeing life on a continuum. It will help you get rid of the urge to say, “I’ll start my diet January 1st!” and instead wake up on January 1st feeling great!
