We all know by now the capital H- Holidays aren’t simply a string of special days in the year's final months. After all, the lore around February—even with Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day, and National Pizza Day— doesn’t hold a candle to the kind of pizzazz the end of the year brings. Stores are rearranged, lights hung, travel plans made, and Muzak includes an awful lot of sleigh bells. Yet with this excitement comes disruption, and the habits we’ve built all year can take a real hit.
Don’t let Santa trample your hard work with his sled. Elevate your end-of-the-year game plan with these holiday hacks.
1. Update your packing list.
Holidays are go, go, go—and you’ll need portable essentials to help you stick to your wellness goals. By making room to pack your favorite supplements in your suitcase, you’re proactively setting the tone to prioritize your health, even while traveling.
It doesn’t have to be inconvenient, either. Pop a Digestive Enzyme to help you digest your feast or an Elderberry capsule to keep your immunity in check. We’ve also designed the perfect Winter Wellness Guide for maintaining healthy habits throughout the winter here.
2. Make realistic program adjustments.
Lifestyle changes are flexible—a healthy and balanced lifestyle should generally contain 80 percent of “the right thing” and 20 percent of indulgences (you can read more about our take on the 80/20 rule here).
Therefore, being too strict with your regimen during the holiday season can lead to diminishing returns to your happiness, motivation, and results. Try to plan your next few weeks around special occasions— build more breathwork sessions into your schedule or focus on a healthier diet leading up to your feast. We have plenty of seasonal wellness hacks you can try here if you need help.
3. Reduce stress.
While festivities can be fun—traveling, family, gift-giving, and all that celebrations entail can intensify stress. Make a checklist of your Holiday to-dos with deadlines and priorities attached to mitigate stressors.
Need to buy presents? Try to get it all done two or three weeks before (or better yet, all on Black Friday since we’ll be running a 30% off sale). Need to fly? Get to the airport with an hour or two to spare. Need to entertain family? Plan activities before they arrive to quell potential friction.
Since Holiday stressors can be difficult, we added helpful hints in this guide to Thanksgiving Traditions to Boost Health and Wellness.
4. Remember what “healthy” means.
In the Sport of Life, health means many things beyond diet and exercise. During the holidays, allow yourself to enjoy festivities with family and friends without the burden of perfection.
Because ultimately—to be healthy is to be happy. So have a Happy Holidays, from our family to yours.