By Danae Crume
The holidays are often a far cry from “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” for many of us. According to a recent study, 61% of Americans dread the holidays.1
Here are a few steps to take to survive—or even thrive—in the holiday season.
First, remember the power of no. Setting boundaries around activity and people is hard but can have huge impacts on your nervous system and mental health in a busy holiday season. “No,” is a complete sentence with no qualifiers needed. Some opportunities to say no and set boundaries may include:
Skip a large holiday party and go out with a small group of close friends instead.
Opt to stay in and watch movies or play games instead of going out to loud restaurants or clubs.
Second, your diet is not just what you put in your mouth. Sure, the holidays are full of increased alcohol and sugar consumption. Which honestly isn’t great for our biopsychosocial-spiritual system. However, diet also consists of what we watch, read, think, discuss, and hear. Small steps and actions can create large impacts. To improve your other diets, here are some ideas:
Turn off the news.
Limit exposure to social media platforms.
Put down the difficult books and pick up an enjoyable novel.
Listen to music instead of podcasts.
Watch regular movies and listen to regular music.
Lastly, increase time in personal restoration. Our entire biopsychosocial-spiritual selves need personal restoration, especially in a busy and stressful holiday season. It’s a key to engaging the one wild and precious life we get to live. Here are some ideas for personal restoration:
Take a longer shower or bath.
Sit in the warm sun beam coming through the window.
Wrap up in a warm blanket.
Go for a walk or run outside in the cooler air.
Have a warm cup of coffee or tea.
Learn something new.
Find time to engage in your hobby.
Cultivate wholeness with a mixture of activity and rest.
These are some of our ideas. What ideas do you have? How can you thrive through the holidays?
Just in case you need it, here are a few great mocktail recipes to enjoy this holiday season; spirit free. If you need nutritional support, we recommend a chat with Doherty Nutrition as they would love to help you along your nutritional journey.
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