The season of eating, drinking, staying up too late and stressing out is upon us. The holidays can be wonderful yet overwhelming. While they are a nice departure from your normal routine, they can wreak havoc on your emotional or physical state and it can take ages to recover from them. This is why setting wellness goals before the holidays kick off in high gear is important. Taking a few days before things get hectic will allow you to really think about what you are trying to accomplish before making rash decisions.
Although goals regarding weight management or diet are typically what we think of when we talk about holiday interference, there are actually many other areas of wellness that can get equally sidelined. Areas like finances, spirituality, and interpersonal wellness are all areas of health that can also be thrown off by the holidays. But it doesn’t have to be this way. When we know the holidays are coming, and are aware of just how disruptive they can be, it’s a good idea to start thinking of some wellness goals to avoid disrupting your life.
When setting wellness goals for the holidays, the first step is to define them by writing them out and walking through your intentions. Maybe you want to eat healthier, stick to a budget, or set boundaries with the people in your life? Writing down your goals and what you hope to achieve sets the groundwork for formulating a solid plan. And don’t go overboard. Stick to two or three goals so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Revisit these goals often; potentially weekly. This can help keep them in the forefront of your mind, or give you the opportunity to adjust accordingly.
Another tip when it comes to holiday wellness is to be realistic. While it might seem like a good idea to eliminate sugar, trying to do this during prime cookie and candy season is probably not realistic.. Setting a goal too high most often leads to a loss of motivation because you want to feel successful, not like you are a failure. You may want to set a goal of reducing sugar intake and eliminating it altogether from you coffee. And then take it from there. This may allow you to build good habits first before moving on to bigger goals.
When setting your holiday wellness goals, it’s important to be aware that there may be setbacks or curveballs, and that that’s okay. Nobody should be expected to tackle any goal with complete perfection, and this is no different during the holiday season. The beauty of setting holiday goals when it comes to health and wellness is that you are trying to be proactive and take care of yourself during an overwhelming time. If you expect perfection, you won’t benefit from all that good you are trying to do.
The holidays are a busy time but it is still important to put your health at the top of the priority list. Setting small goals during the holiday season will also give you momentum into the New Year.
