STAYING CONSISTENT DURING THE HOLIDAYS

I wrote an article about this a while back, but I think with the holidays in full swing (at the time of this post) it’s important to revisit this topic.

When it comes to your health and wellness goals, consistency is the KEY to success. By establishing habits and routines you are far more likely to achieve your goals than by starting a new diet/weight loss program/fitness routine every few weeks or months.

But there are other benefits to consistency with your healthy habits and routines during the holiday season.

It will Help with Stress and Overwhelm. 

This is the time of year for our family that activities go into overdrive. This week alone Hubs and I are working our jobs, we have basketball games for Mini-Me 4 nights this week, we have Christmas celebrations, and one of my sons is coming for a quick visit from college before heading back for finals.

With all the back and forth we are doing, it’s extremely helpful to know that we have our meals planned out and prepped for the entire week so all we have to do is grab our food from the fridge, heat, and go.

Consistency will Help You Manage Your Expectations. 

It is way too easy to over-commit during the holidays. Between family, work, community, church, etc., there are DOZENS of ways to stretch yourself too thin and end up overworked, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Sticking as closely as you can with your healthy habits and routines will help you have steady energy during the day. Consistency doesn’t prevent you from going to a company Holiday Party with your spouse, but it can help you make the best choices while you’re at the party and help you decide to leave a bit early if your routine includes waking up earlier to exercise, meditate, etc.

Consistency will also Help with Overindulging. 

I’m sorry, but you’re more than likely going to overindulge at least a LITTLE during the holidays. More treats available. More parties and celebrations with sweets, beverages, and calorie-bombs of appetizers and main meals. Again, if you’re working on being consistent with your health and wellness goals, you can avoid the calorie-heavy dips and crackers and focus on the veggies, fruits, and cheeses, but give yourself permission to indulge in the divine chocolate fountain at the office party. It’s more about determining what your goals are and where you’re going to draw the line for yourself between a treat versus overdoing it on unhealthy foods.

And my last point in this post is that Consistency will Help You Stay on Track. 

It sort of goes without saying that the point of consistency is to reach your goals. It ALSO goes without saying that the holidays can pull you in a thousand different directions and it’s SO easy to say, “Forget it, I’ll work on my health/wellness/nutrition after the New Year.”

BUT!

If you stop focusing on all the things you have to do, places you have to go, or people who have expectations of you, and instead focus on WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TODAY, you will be able to make a plan that works for you and stick with it. It’s much easier to work on what’s happening TODAY and make your goals fit into today’s schedule than it is to think about everything happening all week (or month), and forgoing your goals because of the overwhelm.

Your usual 10-minute walk might be EXACTLY what you need to clear your head. Your everyday healthy afternoon snack will help you power through the rest of a busy day and help you NOT overindulge on cookies and punch at the church Christmas program that evening.

Consistency during the holidays isn’t impossible. More troublesome….maybe. When you’re already dealing with the mental load that comes with this season, it’s easy to let things slide. Your health and nutrition habits may feel like the simplest things to let go. But, if you can stay consistent, focus on each day as it comes, and work your habits and goals into your daily routine, you won’t have lost any ground by the end of the season and you can start the New Year in a better position to conquer your NEXT set of health and nutrition goals!

And if you would like help learning how to create healthy habits, setting health and nutrition goals, and creating a wellness plan that works for YOU, Book a FREE Consultation with me.