Eat your fruits and veggies, drink plenty of water, exercise daily, make sure to get enough sleep – sounds simple or so it seems. Taking care of our bodies is hard enough on a daily basis but with the holidays in full force we can say goodbye to our health and wellness and hello to our inner Grinch. During one of the busiest times of the year our checklists are left unchecked (and I am not talking about Christmas checklists here). In this case, I am talking about the go-to’s for taking care of our bodies. Our extremely busy schedules can make it hard to stick to those ideal wellness goals and easy to tell ourselves we will start them back up in the new year. 

We are making our lists and checking them twice, but are we checking up on ourselves? It is especially easy to get caught up in the season of giving and thinking of others, so take a moment to recharge – it doesn’t take so long to do so.  I am not suggesting setting aside consecutive hours of your day for your personal health, cause ain’t nobody got time for that.  Hear me out – implement at least 3 of the below tips into your routine. Any step in a healthy direction supports your journey to better mental and physical health!

Get Adequate Sleep

Whether you are staying up late wrapping last minute presents or out partying all week, let’s cut to the chase… sleep is usually the first thing to go. Do keep in mind that although that holiday party might sound like the celebration of the year, sleep deprivation does lead to poor functioning, depression, weight gain and a suppressed immune system. Yes, that is what I’m saying, more stress. More stress = No sleep. It’s a vicious cycle. 

On the other hand, a restful night of sleep might sound like the greatest idea you’ve had all day, but factors such as ongoing stress and anxiety can prevent this from happening. If you have ongoing problems falling or staying asleep, consider finding your favorite podcast or guided sleep app to help wind down your thoughts or ​​reducing your alcohol intake: studies show that alcohol can negatively affect your sleep cycle. 

Make Time for Movement

Staying active is a great way to help relieve stress and anxiety. However, if you aren’t making your 6 a.m. pilates class, it is OK. With this in mind, find what exercise is right for you that fits in with your holiday schedule.

If 6 a.m. workouts aren’t your thing, don’t think that’s the road to a stress-free life. Movement can mean different things for different people. This could mean going for a walk outside or even practicing yoga at least once a week. Just because it works for some doesn’t mean it works for everyone which leads me to my next point. 

Do Not Compare Yourself to Others

All of the pressure we feel from friends and family to be perfect is exacerbated around the holidays. We feel the expectations start to pile up – the perfectly decorated house, the tallest tree in the neighborhood, the holiday banger of the year.  It’s human nature to want to compare ourselves with others but try to use that feeling to be inspired. Not everything has to be perfect and your mental health matters.

Nurture the Soul 

With a daily list of 15 things to do and 100 things to think about, it is easy to get overwhelmed and caught up in the stress of life (and self-care is definitely not on the list). We all need reminders to take self-care breaks. Fuel your body with clean foods and stay hydrated. Try something new… have you ever tried breath work? Journaling? Sit in the sun and think of 5 things you’re grateful for today. Set a new year’s resolution. Take an extravagant bath. 

Living a healthy lifestyle at a glance can be exhausting just thinking about balancing it all, especially during the holidays. Implementing just a few of these tips are sure to help you survive the holiday season and maintain what feeling “healthy” may feel like to you.