Mindfully Giving To Yourself This Holiday Season
And here we are – one week away from Christmas! It does feel like the years are going faster and faster. This year I have taken a new approach to the holidays. My typical holiday planning is overloading my schedule, creating an oversized menu, baking 8-10 kinds of cookies, buying too many gifts going over budget, decorating close to the Griswald’s level (but on a classier scale), ordering 100+ photo cards and mailing them out and cutting down a Christmas Tree (ok – I leave that one to my husband and son).
This year, I decided to give myself a break and be more mindful to approaching the holidays. Tuning into my stress levels and managing them better is not easy – but learning how to let go of certain things feels amazing. Here is how I am improving on the upcoming holiday.
- Schedule – while it is still busy between raising 2 teens (and running them all over town with activities and social stuff), working a sales/marketing job part time and managing my own health coaching business – still cooking/cleaning and regular life to do list tasks. I have been planning ahead – making big meals (or even multiple meals) early in the week so I don’t have to cook each night. I also (with definitely some resistance) recruiting the kids to help with chores so it does not all fall on me.
- Holiday Menu – we will be celebrating with family on Christmas and the weekend after. We will definitely have a smaller amount of us – so that helps in keeping the menu simple and less expansive. And for our weekend company, we will likely go out to eat one night. Less work in the kitchen and more time to enjoy the moment.
- Baking – I had the kids narrow down the cookie selection to about 3 different types of cookies. Plus 1 more for me – I have a favorite gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe that is a holiday must – one of my holiday indulgences.
- Gift Buying – my husband and I set a budget this year and have been focused on sticking to it so that we don’t go overboard with the gifts. So far, we are doing great with this!
- Holiday Decorations – last year we hosted a huge party – over 100 people and Santa even came. This year we have scaled back – candles in the windows for outdoor viewing. Indoor décor – we kept it pretty simple and the kids helped with getting it done.
- Christmas Cards – decided for the first time to skip the cards. We will send out an e-card this year. Will save time and money. The kids and I decided to donate the money to a local Children’s Hospital in a friend’s honor.
- Christmas Tree – Rather than cut down a tree this year, we decided to go with an artificial tree. And this one has special meaning to us. It was my parent’s tree so that gives me warm fuzzies having it up in our home since they used it last.
All of these small changes have added up to a lot less stress in my world. With all that I have had going on this year – between my MS flare, starting a new business and officially having 2 high schoolers – less stress was the way to go for the holidays. Stress is directly tied into our overall health and can wreak havoc on the body. And it definitely plays into MS flare-ups so I am trying to be very mindful about reducing it on all levels.
My mom would always say her favorite time with Christmas was on Christmas night – when all the gifts were unwrapped, all the food was cooked & served, and she could finally unwind from all her hard work. She loved to sit under the tree and go through all the gifts we kids received. And now I can truly appreciate that tradition from her. I love being in the moment during the holidays but it’s always so nice to take in the end result and appreciate everything that went into it.
I hope you find some of my Christmas tradition changes helpful for you and your family this holiday season. My goal for 2020 (one of many) is to truly live and appreciate more in the present moment.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE to Stay Ahead of the Holiday Weight Gain!
Need help surviving the holiday eating frenzy? Join my Sleigh the Weight Gain Group to help stay on track and not put on the holiday pounds. I am including a personal daily tracker, meal ideas, portion tips, party tips, movement accountability and so much more. This has been a fun, interactive group – all supporting each other during the holidays and keeping each other accountable. Suggested random acts of kindness have been featured as well. We are going through December 31st – especially since that last week can always be a tough one! Message me for details.
Join my WellNourish Center today as an Advantage Member and be the first to know about new recipe releases! You will also have access to all of my recipes at ChristiHealthCoach.com and receive the newest blog posts, wellness and habit change tips and more! Best part – it’s FREE! Join Today!
I am now scheduling new client consultations. I am extending a special offer on my 90 Day Program – 25% off through the end of 2019. Let’s get those good habits started now before the holiday foods arrive into your kitchen and life. If you are feeling frustrated with no energy or drive to make the necessary changes and optimize your health, I can help you get on track – find amazing energy and get you craving healthy foods. I do this by slowly integrating habit changes that will stay with you for the long-term without feeling deprived or overwhelmed.
Contact me today for a Free Discovery Transformation Consultation to see if we are a good fit together!
Cheers To Your Health,
Coach Christi
