15 Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season

The holidays are fast approaching. The overwhelm and stress often hit me hard. There’s so much to do! I sometimes lose focus on what the holiday really is about and it’s true, I let the stress get to me. This year I’m going to TRY to focus on these Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season!

1. Remember Jesus is the Reason

This is just the most absolute important part of the holiday season. If I don’t put Jesus first, all the rest is absolutely pointless.

Setting aside time for prayer and devotion somewhere in my day (personally, I prefer morning for designated prayer time) is essential. I must also stay aware and focused on God throughout my day.

It’s important when looking at your calendar to make sure church services or other ways of worship are put on the schedule first. Don’t let shopping, parties, or other such things take over. It’s not always easy. Fighting against commercialism is challenging. Keep Jesus ever present in your heart and soul.

2. Manage Stress

Practice Self-Care and stress management. Remember the post on your stress bucket? Your stress bucket tends to overflow easily during the holiday season. This is an extra important time of year to recognize your stressors and manage them with things like a well-balanced diet, exercise, prayer and/or meditation, and be extra conscious of other stress management skills.

Schedule time to practice stress management. Put it on your lists below!

3. Make a List – Check it MORE than Twice

Santa makes a list. You should too. And yes, you should check it twice, and then some.

Make Several Lists

The holidays are overwhelming. Stay organized with several lists. Have your basic to do list (liturgical or other church services, shop, meal plan, send cards, buy gifts, etc.) but break down those lists with, you guessed it, more lists.

Make a list of who you want to buy for, what you want to purchase for them, etc. Make your meal plan on a different list and the things you need for those meal items.

Put stress management skills and practices on your list! Prioritize tasks and use time management techniques.

Check Your Lists

Stay organized and check your lists frequently so you don’t overlook something and add to your stress level.

Some people do better checking those lists at night and adding to them as a sort of brain dump at the end of the day. Some do better checking the lists in the morning. Try out both methods for a couple days each and then choose which works best for you.

4. Cut Back on Sugar

It has to be said. Sugar is a huge deficit to your immune system and it doesn’t help anxiety either. In fact sugar can create changes in your body that may make general anxiety symptoms worse. So while those Christmas cookies are tempting, especially while you are baking them, the initial sugar rush isn’t worth what it’s doing to your body.

5. Eat More Veggies

In general, eat healthy. Adding more vegetables to your diet at a time of high stress is a good habit to start if you don’t already.

Vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They support your digestion, help manage weight and support your immune system. Consumption reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

6. Keep Active

Keeping active during times of stress keeps your lymphatic system moving and increases the resilience of your immune system. Staying active helps reduce stress, improves mood, enhances your sleep and overall physical well-being.

Remember, keeping active or adding movement to your day does not have to be strenuous. Read this post for more ideas on how to add movement to your day without overtaxing your to-do-lists!

7. Enjoy Peaceful Yuletide Slumber

One way to keep the season festive and joyful is to make sure you get your sleep!

Don’t let late night shopping on the internet or worries about those to do lists keep you up at night. Stick to a nighttime routine, making sure to hit the hay at a reasonable time each night and don’t take those electronics into the bedroom!

If you have trouble with sleep, check out this post for more information on ways to improve it and foods that may be helpful.

8. Stay Hydrated

Hydration is always essential but during stressful times it becomes more so as do all of those healthy habits we tend to forget.

Make sure to start your day with doing something for your hydration routine.

Morning is a great time to make a pot of tea to enjoy through the day or fill up a couple glasses or drinking jars of LMNT to sip on through the day. Maybe make your own flavored water with cucumber, lemon, or another natural flavor you enjoy.

9. Take Your Supplements

Keep your immune system nourished with vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, and other nutrients. The easiest way to do that of course is through a balanced diet and supplementing with herbs! Check out Nourish Her Naturally , adaptogenic immunity, and other choices at Earthley.com.

Other basic supplements you may want to stock up on are Vitamins D3, C, Zinc and other items found in my Cold & Flu post!

10. Ask for Holistic Wellness Gifts

Don’t want to get gift cards to stores you don’t shop at, fruit cake or underwear and socks this year? Tell people what you want.

Before the New Year comes and you think about healthy resolutions, think about it now. Maybe you have some health goals in mind. Ask for gifts that will help you achieve those goals. Here are some suggestions:

Fitness Gear

Maybe there’s some exercise clothes you have been eyeing up? Ask for the outfit or a gift card to that specific store. Want to take up yoga? How about putting this yoga mat and yoga DVD on your wish list?

Hydration Gear

Maybe you have trouble with obtaining your hydration goals (I do!). How about asking for a new motivating water bottle like this one or this pretty Klean Kanteen for your hot herbal teas!

Recovery Gifts

You will need to recover from this stressful season! Ask for certificates to get several massages or herbal tea blends with adaptogens and relaxing herbs!

11. Select Healthy Gifts for Giving

While you are thinking about what you want for Christmas and making those lists, think about healthy gifts you can give. Healthy gifts keep on giving.

Besides the gifts I mentioned above for yourself, which make great gifts for others too, here are some other things to consider to encourage health for others.

Cookbooks

Know someone that likes to cook and want to encourage healthy eating. Why not a new cookbook with some new cooking utensils thrown in? You never know. Sometimes health happens because someone plants a seed of encouragement and enticement rather than lectures. Some top favorites to consider?

The Well Plated Cookbook – this one comes with high reviews of simple dishes with everyday kitchen ingredients.

Well Fed – Here’s one of my favorite paleo cookbooks. It’s actually the one I started with years ago. There’s lots of great illustrations and I love how the author gives her own tips on how to change up the recipes various ways to suit your personal preferances.

Kitchen Gadgets

Gadgets are fun to give. They are also usually great deals on them at Christmas time! You have to know your person though. Will they really play around with their new toy or be intimidated by it?

Consider the following:

Nutribullet, Vitamix or Other Blender – Sometimes people are encouraged to make more smoothies and healthy shakes if they have the equipment given to them. You have to know your person though. Will they really play around with their new toy or be intimidated by it?

Instant Pot – If you haven’t tried using one yet, the holidays are a great time to grab one on sale. This device has made a great difference to me in the kitchen. My favorite ways to use it include my bone broth which I make frequently. Did you know there are less histamines in your broth when you make it with a pressure cooker? It’s so fast and easy too! I also love making yogurt, rice, hard boiled eggs, soups and other things in my Instant Pot. It makes a great gift.

Herbs & Teas

Want to encourage someone to include more herbs in their life? Besides offering a great book to someone who is already interested, one way to offer herbs is an herb garden kit or perhaps a basket of herbal teas with a pretty little mug to get them started?

Earthley Wellness Basket – Pick out a beautiful basket they can’t possibly resist and fill it with pretty tea towels and products from Earthley Wellness! I’d suggest picking out a tincture, some Goodnight Lotion, a tea blend, some soap and maybe something from their For The Home line.

12. Eat Healthy Holiday Snacks

While everyone else around you is cramming their faces full of cookies and cakes and sugar filled coffee drinks and alcohol, here’s a few healthy holiday snacks to consider for yourself.

• Nuts – even a little homemade sweetened nuts are better than the sugar filled cookies and cakes.
• Veggies – have a bag of your favorite veggies already cut up for yourself to grab instead of the candies and treats people are laying out at the office. Cucumber and carrot slices anyone?
• Strawberries and other fruit – Even if it’s out of season, fresh fruit is a better choice for your body than the candy any time!
• Homemade Healthy Fruit Snacks – I found this simple recipe at Yummly.
• Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding – make yourself some healthy desserts! No one should miss dessert 🙂 Just make them healthy choices! This one is delicious!

13. Handle Alcohol Sensibly

I won’t say avoid it. There’s contradicting information out there even in the holistic health field.

But I will say handle your alcohol, if you choose to partake, sensibly. Avoid overdoing it at all costs. Make sure the amount and type of alcohol is something you can handle.

Also, avoid alcohol before meals. It may inhibit your ability to make healthy choices. Instead, opt for a glass of water or herbal tea before your meal. These can help hydrate your body and keep you on track for eating food with enough nutrients.

14. Enlist your friends and family

Tell your friends and family your goal this year for staying healthy this year by trying out these 15 tips to have a healthy holiday season.

Pick someone to be your partner. Maybe you can challenge each other to see who can follow these tips and come up with your own ways to stay healthy.

Additionally, take an opportunity to connect socially and boost your fitness and theirs by trying a fitness or cooking class together. Healthy habits are always more fun if it doubles as a means to connect with others.

15. Practice Other Healthy Habits for the Holidays

Pick one or more other healthy habits to stay consistent with or try for the first time this season.

Track your habits. To stay consistent with the ones you already take part in or to add another and have a reminder, use a habit tracker of some sort. Food logs, fitness watches, or just a simple check off list of the habits you are trying to incorporate are tools to help you stay on track. Tracking daily progress helps many be more conscious of health habits and are a visual or auditory alert for when you start to slide.

Other healthy habits you may want to incorporate that aren’t listed here include:

• Avoid processed foods or foods that contain gluten or artificial ingredients
• Cook at home rather than eating out
• Practice gratitude by keeping a journal
• Be mindful and maintain good posture to prevent back and neck pain
• Make a chiropractor appointment
• Be careful of your holiday spending ( keep to the budget in order to pay bills and save money for future needs and emergencies)
• Practice deep breathing throughout your day
• Take a walk in nature frequently