Ok, stop stressing out- it's just Thanksgiving.
I know, you have been doing great- going to yoga class, getting in some cardio, eating better than you ever have and now Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Which would be great, except that it feels like the beginning of the end. All of your hard work erased in 6 weeks. Because it isn't just a day is it? When you are an adult it isn't all holiday magic and sugar cookies- it represents the start of stressful to-do lists, endless supplies of high calorie tempting delights, and a severe lack of sleep. Not to mention the possibility of having to play nice with people that you manage to avoid all year!
Take.A.Breath... I mean, Take....A.....Breath!
You can survive this and come out on the other side with a little help from little old me, your journal, and a plan. Trust me, I have been where you are, and I get it! Trust me when I say, it is possible to actually enjoy the holidays- I promise!
Get out your journal. Start free- journaling around the thought of the holidays. If you need some help getting started here are some journal prompts for you:
-What do you love about the holidays?
-What makes you feel anxious around the holiday season?
-What does the best holiday you have ever had look like? How did it feel?
-What is your vision for the best season ever?
Once you get it down just leave it for a bit, come back to it later.
Open up the calendar. Time to identify things that you can reasonably control.
-Write events in red
-Note family gatherings in another color
-Identify feasts that you know about
-Log things that must get done by a certain time (finish shopping, buy a turkey, get the dog groomed, etc)
-Write workouts in sharpie- these are NOT negotiable. They are however flexible. Maybe a 75 minute yoga class becomes a 20 minute video at home, no time to work out every day? Get creative- schedule family togetherness with activity (ice skating with the cousins, a snowy walk with hubby, mall walking with grandma) - Side note...does anyone still mall walk? Are there even malls left to walk?!
- Lastly schedule decompression time- it's ok to double up here again- just be careful to keep it low key and flexible. Scheduling shopping for decompression doesn't work if you are at Walmart at 3 on a Sunday afternoon the weekend of Thanksgiving. However, locking yourself in your bedroom with a glass of wine and Amazon for an hour might be perfect! Just me? OK I admit I have a problem. Moving on...
Lastly, let that shit go! You are not going to lose the last 10lbs in the 4 weeks between seeing cousin Jenny's 100 pound miracle slim down at Thanksgiving and family dinner on Christmas. It isn't going to happen. Let it go. However, you can enjoy the occasional Christmas cookie or holiday cocktail in spite of missing your weekly spin class. You are able to go to holiday parties and not count points or calories because you know how to practice moderation and eat the occasional veggie.
Rinse, repeat, and keep aware. Every morning take a few minutes to visit the journal to plan, reflect on how awesome you are, or simply unload some feelings. Keep an eye on the calendar and be ok with saying no to things that don't serve you, and remain unattached for things that don't matter!
I promise, it's just the holidays.
