Counting What Matters This Holiday Season
Thanksgiving is only a week away!
I’m so excited.
The holiday season is about to officially kick off and I don’t think it’s an accident that it begins with a day soaked in the spirit of gratitude.
It's time to cozy up to the fire with family and friends. To slow down, acknowledge and appreciate all the abundance in our lives, and to give thanks.
It’s not the time to dive into a new exercise or eating plan.
Are you surprised to hear me say that?
Were you expecting a lecture? Or maybe yet another “5 Ways to Stay Slim During the Holidays” article about how to avoid pumpkin pie?
Look. I’m a wellness professional, so I’m not going to encourage you to overindulge until you can’t move…that’s just not my style and I’m invested in you feeling good in your body, which means moderation in the indulgence category.
But this is a time of year that often includes lots of social time, which can be great! And for many of us, it also includes a lot of expectations to manage, whether it’s finding the perfect gifts for our loved ones, preparing a beautiful meal for a crowd, attending events, or any number of other holiday-related circumstances. It can also be an emotionally loaded time, missing loved ones who are no longer with us, or being far from our communities or support networks.
So piling on a commitment to a new exercise or eating plan can be a recipe for frustration and feelings of failure, which, simply put, are not helpful.
Here’s what I recommend instead:
Focus on joy and gratitude. Instead of feeling guilty (a useless emotion any time of the year) over your slice of pumpkin pie, savor each bite, feeling grateful for the abundance in your live. Think about the care and love that went into making that pie, and soak in the circumstances surrounding you. To share a meal with loved ones is privilege and sinking into thankfulness for that privilege is a surefire way to get more out of the experience than calorie-counting.
Focus on feeling good in your body. While we all want every holiday season to play out like a Hallmark card, the truth is that this season can be stressful. We often feel busy and don’t get as much rest as we need. Small acts of self-care can make a world of difference.
This time of year, I like to spend 5 minutes when I first get up in the morning to do these 5 things:
Take 5 breaths of gratitude. Inhale through your nose, breathing all the way down into your belly for a count of four. Then exhale from your belly, out through your nose, for another count of four. After each breath. think of one thing that you're grateful for at that moment. Ideally, write it down so at the end of the day you can look at your list. Beginning and ending your day with gratitude is a powerful tool.
Spend 30 seconds to 1 minute in child’s pose. Let your body settle towards the surface below you. Once you’ve settled into the pose, take 5 full breaths into your belly and breath out your nose. See if you can hear the sound of your own breath and feel the support of the earth beneath you. Do this for 30 seconds to a minute. As you feel the ground below you, feel the support of the earth and know that you are always supported.
Take Intention Breaths. Stand up tall, take a deep breath in through your nose as you reach your arms over head, and exhale out through your nose as you bring your hands to your heart. Do this five times. Each time your hands return to your heart set a positive intention for the day. For example, “Today I’m going to look for the good in each moment today" or, "I’m going spread some kindness by smiling at 5 random people today”.
Spend 1 minute moving and grooving. Lift your energy level by getting your body moving for one minute. Get some blood flowing! Do some jumping jacks, jump rope, marching in place, plank hold, wall sit, or- my personal favorite- turn up the music and have a good old-fashioned dance party. If you're a yogi, do a minute of sun salutations. It doesn’t matter- just get up and go for 60 secs. I’m always amazed at how such a simple thing boosts my mood and my energy for hours afterwards!
Drink some H2O! This is always a good idea, but especially during this season of dry air from having the heat on and perhaps slightly more alcohol than usual, getting some extra hydration is key to feeling good and keeping your energy high. Begin each day rehydrating a bit. Plain ol’ water is fine, but a cup of warm lemon water and some cayenne pepper packs an even bigger punch. I enjoy mine as I’m making my coffee…give it a whirl!
'Tis the season...of giving and gratitude or of stress and busy-ness. The choice is yours.
I encourage you to give yourself just a bit of time each morning to make that choice actively. Begin with gratitude. Plan a day packed with joyous moments. Reach for better feeling thoughts throughout the day with real intention. Look around and make an effort to really notice the beauty and love around you.
It makes a difference and it takes so little effort and time once it becomes a habit.
In the words of the ever-great-and-inspirational Oprah:
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.”
So stop counting calories this holiday season and count the things that matter instead.
Count the things you’re grateful for. Count the moments of joy and love. Count the ways you make others smile.
When you begin to feel yourself getting overwhelmed, count your breaths. It really does work every time.
I wish you a wonderful and joyful Thanksgiving next week and a happy holiday season in the weeks to come!
I am so very thankful for YOU. Thank you for being here. Thank you for supporting this work that I love so much and that I couldn’t do without you.
Thank you.