Now that the excitement and anticipation of the holidays came and went, some of us are left with mixed emotions.
Some are recovering from the time spent with family or loved ones. Some are focused on boxing up or donating the decorations and throwing out the tree. Others are excited to have things get back to normal. Some are sad that the season is ending as there is little in store for them in the immediate future. My wife and I had a roller coaster of an experience this year which resulted in some reflection.
Here are some tips to help with the holiday recovery and hopefully with planning for next year:
Remember the love
It is easy to forget that the people you chose to spend your holidays with are actually people you love. Shocker, I know. We are great at getting on each others’ nerves. Remember, you are just as good at it as they are. We all have triggers for one another, which is obvious otherwise we all would live together in a huge compound.
Remember yourself
There is a need to take time to remember your self-care. This year we struggled a bit because we forgot some of the basics over a 2-week period. That is a long time to forget about self-care.
- Sleep – when you change your sleep schedule by even a few hours there will be consequences. We are creatures of habit. Kids become crabby. We feel like we wasted the morning if we sleep in. We are overtired if we stay up late, even if it is for good times shared with family and friends. Our brains and bodies do not care how valid of a reason. try to stick to your routine.
- Food – If you eat healthy in the off-holiday-season it can be exceptionally difficult to maintain your lifestyle when others are cooking for you or you are hosting. People brings sweets or you find yourself throwing chocolate and candy in the cart at the store. Remember, it can be okay to deviate a bit from your regular eating pattern but try to get back at it ASAP. This is more about mindful eating. Be careful not to fall into the pattern of eating like you did at mom and dad’s when you lived there as a teen. Your body worked a bit differently and may have needed the extra energy at that time. Maybe not so much now.
- Motion – you have to take time to keep active. This may involve recruiting the troops for a lengthy walk or even a quick run outside – yes, even in the cold! It may also involve setting a boundary with others or making plans so that you can exercise around the daily scheduled activities.
- Water – this may sound silly but I am positive I drank even more water than I usually do over this holiday season. Unfortunately, it was because the salt content of the food I CHOSE to eat was exceptionally high. One bad choice may lead to many complications. Regardless, make sure you do not fall victim to overindulging in ALCOHOL or COFFEE.
(Bottom line: be mindful of what you put in your body and how active you are.)
Remember your place
Stay out of other people’s drama. It is very easy to catch up on life and forget to mind your place. People often say things without even thinking about it. I have people often tell me I should get a haircut or shave. I don’t tell them what to do with their body hair. Why should they feel the freedom to tell me what to do with mine? Regardless, people will coach others on what they should do with their career, money, physical activity, free time, retirement fund, etc. The intent is good but the delivery is lacking, primarily because it was unsolicited.
Remember to take a moment for your closest
Not to play favorites, but I love my wife and children exceptionally so. Therefore, I found it was essential to take a minute here and there to check in with all of them to see how they were doing. I also, probably annoyingly so, take a moment to tell them I love them and am happy to see them. A simple approach to making sure you don’t get disconnected in the shuffle.
I’m sure there are many more tips and topics that could be addressed, but these definitely were top of the list for our household. Remember that you have the power to control your response to every situation you face. If you are mindful, remember to care for yourself, and extend love to others your stress will be lower and you can handle just about any holiday challenge.
If you feel like you need a boost to help you start practising self-care in ways you may not have tried before, I encourage you to sign up for my men’s class, Transformation 101, starting this Sunday. You can also take the women’s class with Kerry and learn more about us both and the class right here. I would be honored to walk you through some new steps toward a healthier happier life throughout this 8 week course.
