By: @curawellness.co
It’s safe to say that towards the end of the year we all experience some form of burnout, fatigue, and lack of motivation. However, when it comes to the festive season we tend to indulge more than usual and our routine gets thrown out the window. Whether it's the third bowl of Christmas pudding you ate, or the extra glass of wine you had - looking after yourself during this time with some simple, healthy habits can make all the difference. Often it's the simple habits that make the world of a difference, especially when combined with consistency and a number of other small daily habits.
1. Start your day with 500 to 1L of water. Even better if you start your morning with a glass of warm water with fresh lemon and Celtic salt. This is especially helpful if you find yourself indulging more than usual in sweets and/or salty foods.
2. Try to focus on one nutritious meal per day (whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner). We tend to be a lot more social during this time and that means we’re eating out more than usual. So I recommend focusing on one meal of a day that you can prepare at home, ensuring you put effort into making it as nutrient-dense as possible. I assure you, you’ll feel much better about indulging later at dinner if you’ve had a light and nutritious lunch at home.
3. Have healthy snacks prepared in the fridge. This could be fresh fruit cut up into pieces stored in a glass Tupperware container for easy access, or even a batch of healthy protein balls! Both options take little to no time to prepare and require no cooking - which is the best part!
4. Incorporate more incidental physical activity. For most of us, we may be away on vacation and away from our usual gym/Pilates studio, so focusing on incidental activity is key to maintaining movement. This could mean walking to get your morning coffee, running around the playground with the kids, or getting your family and friends involved in a home workout.
5. Take care of your mind. This time of year can feel overwhelming with finishing deadlines for work, chaotic Christmas shopping, having to balance work, and/or having the kids at home on school holidays. Ensure you do something for yourself each day! Whether that’s enjoying a cup of tea alone for 10 minutes, reading a new book, enjoying the time to prepare/cook nutritious food, meditating for 5 to 10 minutes…Find something that fills you up and recenters your mind.
6. Lastly, enjoy! The festive season is all about spending quality time with loved ones, and celebrating the year that’s been. Allow yourself to have fun, enjoy delicious and decadent foods and soak up this precious time with your favourite people. Merry Christmas to the beautiful Sporty & Rich community and wishing you all a safe 2023!
