We all look forward to the holiday season: colder temps, more time with family, and ridiculously awesome home-cooked meals. But more often than not, these factors contribute to an expanding waistline and a less-than-optimal mindset that we take with us into the new year. Read on for tips on surviving the holiday meltdown!
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1. You’re Overeating Most Meals
Mom’s famous deep-fried turkey sure is amazing, but it also packs a bigger punch that your typical “cheat meal”. The holiday season is challenging because you’re not just cheating with a cookie – often, you’re cheating with a piece of cake, a handful of cookies, and a huge meal. Prevent this downward caloric spiral not by passing on the turkey, but by piling your plate up with veggies first. The fiber will inevitably fill you up so that you have less room for all the less healthy stuff – but you can still calm your craving!
Prevent a downward caloric spiral not by passing on the turkey, but by piling your plate up with veggies first.
2. You Have Zero Time To Yourself
Time with friends and family is great, but when is it too much? You’ll know when you’re falling into stress danger zone when you feel depleted after time with family (or before!) instead of fulfilled. Try to take as much time by yourself (meditate, yoga, read) as you spend with your friends and family, and pay careful attention to how you respond to your interactions. Does hanging at home with your parents cause you to overeat and feel stressed? Plan a fun holiday outing instead!
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3. Gift-giving Kills Your Budget
No matter how much it seems we’ve saved up, the holidays always manage to put a painful dent in our bank accounts. But when crossing people off the list isn’t an option, look to more creative strategies: DIY and homemade gifts no longer means a picture made of dried macaroni.
Pinterest is an amazing resource for homemade gifts that look expensive. Also consider inexpensive gifts that pack a huge punch: If you can’t afford those expensive shoes for the runner in your family, maybe you pay their registration for an upcoming race instead. Or if mom loves perfume but you can’t afford the newest bottle of Dolce, sign her up for a fragrance-blending class instead.
Pinterest is an amazing resource for homemade gifts that look expensive.
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4. Your Relationship Is Suffering
Not only do the holidays cause you to have less time by yourself, but odds are, you’ll be spending MORE time with your significant other – and it’s not one-on-one, either. Family get togethers, potlucks with friends, the list goes on. It’s essential for any couple to go into the holiday season with boundaries: agree on whose parents’ house you’ll visit for Thanksgiving.
Find common ground on how long you’re going to spend at your friend’s New Year’s Eve party, and which parties you absolutely HAVE to attend and which you can pass on for a quiet evening at home. Trust us – plan ahead & communicate and you’ll thank us.
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