Holiday mindfulness- how to stay in control

Friday, December 2, 2016



Truth be told we wake up everyday wanting to be in control and stay in control of what we eat. Every year we make a pact with ourselves during the holidays that we just aren’t going to eat too much and gain those unwanted pounds. Yet we don’t want to give up all the goodies—those one-time-a-year delectables we look forward to munching on during December. How can we have our cake and cookies and still stay in control? The answer: Holiday mindfulness.

The challenge we have with holidays is they are infused with tradition and ritual. This means we have set up a pattern to repeat the same activities over and over again. It doesn’t require that we be mindful. This lack of mindfulness is what gets us in trouble. We aren’t thinking about what we are doing so bad habits perpetuate.

We can only change out the bad habits with new healthier habits if we are aware of what we are doing. It is key that we are present as we navigate the holidays. We can’t make the better choice if we aren’t aware we have one because we merely repeat what we have always done—that extra glass of wine at the office party, the two extra sweets at our friend’s holiday party or the extra batch of holiday cookies we bake to make sure we have “enough” on hand. Doing what we have always done sets us up for “the same ol’ same ol’”.

If we really want to change and not gain the weight we don’t want to then we have to stop doing the same things over and over again just because we did them before. Being more mindful will allow us to stay more in control.

Here is a link to a blog I have written previously that gives 10 ways to fight the battle of the bulge over the holidays. There are simple tips like eating a healthy snack before going to a party so you don’t arrive famished, or drinking a tall glass of water between alcoholic drinks to help pace your consumption. Print these tips out and tape them up where you will see them, look at them and remind yourself of the ways you can be mindful each day during the holidays. Hopefully my list will get you started on making your own list that will work for you.


Another step is to actually help yourself become more mindfully through adopting certain practices like starting the day by deep breathing before you get out of bed, stretching before you get dressed or taking up a yoga class at your local gym or YMCA. Here is another blog to check out for more ideas on how to give temptation the slip during the holidays.

If you have kids and are looking for ways to help them avoid overindulging during the holidays too then click on my blog Top 10 tips to help kids avoid Holiday overeating .  Children are out of their routine during the holidays and without scheduled fun activities can get sedentary and bored. There are ways to avoid this by planning ahead and also including them in special activities of this joyful season.

Being mindful is relevant to everyone, no matter your age.  It is always the right time to set you and your loved ones up for a happy and healthy holiday season.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!


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