Well, we’re here: the holiday season! It’s a time of year that is supposed to be full of joy and cheer, but let’s be honest- they can also be stressful as fck. Especially if you’re a busy parent and/or a working professional who’s trying to lose weight!
All the parties, gifts, food, and pressure might have you wanting to crawl into a hole until January. It’s incredibly stress-inducing, and could very easily trigger canceling gym workouts, binging on junk food, and giving up on meal prep.
So here are 3 simple things you can do to bring the stress down a few (dozen) notches this holiday season:
1. Say NO- you aren’t obligated to attend every single event you’re invited to. Pick your favorites and kindly decline the rest… you could send a gift basket or other gesture to folks in lieu of your presence.
2. Set BOUNDARIES- if you’re hosting this holiday season, invite the people that you’ll really enjoy breaking bread with. You don’t need to invite everyone and their grandmother just because you “should.” Review your guest list- do you truly WANT each person on that list? If the answer is now, pare it down until you can look at the list and truly become excited to share time with the people on the list.
3. Keep MOVING- sacrificing a workout or daily walk because you need to wrap gifts or go shopping is 🐂 💩. The time you spend scrolling social media every day is more than enough time to get a workout in. Don’t believe me- go into your phone settings and take a look at how many minutes you’ve spent on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok today. It is perfectly reasonable to start the day with a quick 20 min workout… You’ll be glad you did.
Incorporate these 3 simple stress reducing strategies into your life this holiday season, and you will be much less likely to sabotage your weight loss efforts!
