Have yourself a Supple, STRESS-FREE Christmas
With a week to go avoid the season of stress, emotional eating and chronic fatigue with these 5 tips:
1. SLEEP- deprivation can be common during the party season but aim for 7-8 hours to give yourself restorative powers and the resiliency to see yourself into 2022 (nerves intact). If you are struggling with sleep, ensure you turn the screen off 60min before bedtime, have a bath or meditate.
2. EAT YOUR GREENS-it’s easy to give into temptation with home baked delights & goodies at work leading to skipped meal times. Whilst cookies, cakes etc. might be amazing now it can lead to fatigue, gastrointestinal challenges & even depression. Snack on greens & start the day with a protein rich breakfast to keep you fuelled for longer, so you are less likely to crave sugar!
3. MOVE- when our social lives get hectic, exercise is one of the first things to go. It might be difficult to stay on track with school commitments, house parties & office events which is alright, a break in routine can refresh your mind & body. You can still benefit by making time to go for a short walk, perform a 20 min HIIT session or try Pilates/Yoga exercises at home. You will still increase oxygen uptake, elevate your heart rates, enhance your mood & decrease stress.
4. AVOID setting the standard of perfection- thanks to social media & all those home programmes, we are exposed more than ever to images of the ‘perfect holiday season’. Gone are the days of simplicity. Perfectionism has been correlated to stress, anger, and other mental health issues. You may want to prepare the perfect family dinner or find the perfect present only to be frustrated when you don’t attain it as perfection doesn’t exist. Instead lower your expectation & be happy!!!
5. SCHEDULE DOWNTIME- learn to say NO to the pressure of being entertained & entertaining. Establish boundaries for yourself to enhance your health & avoid feeling exhausted, overwhelmed & stressed out. No matter your personality type everyone needs time to rest & relax. Practice self-care even 5-20 minutes daily even if you can only take 5 minutes to listen to a piece of relaxing music, draw, practice breathing techniques etc.
