Let me start by saying that the Christmas season is my favorite time of year. Peppermint bark, a lit tree, Home Alone — I’m ready for all of it by November 1st.
But the most wonderful time of the year can also be a complete disaster for people’s healthy intentions. The weeks from Halloween through Thanksgiving, into Christmas and then New Year’s can very easily become one long slippery slope of skipped workouts, overindulging and holiday-related stress. Hence, the age-old tradition of draconian New Year’s resolutions and reboots to try to undo the damage come Jan 1.
To top it all off, we all know that 2020 is… special. In the year that has not been what anyone could have expected, the challenges to staying healthy are different. Last year we had sugary temptations throughout the office and a calendar of holiday get-togethers with cocktails and finger food; this year we’re dealing with stressors like the psychological challenge of lockdowns and the neverending torrent of scary news.
My health coaching practice centers around 3 pillars of health: EAT, MOVE and BREATHE.
In the weeks ahead, here are what I foresee to be the biggest pitfalls to keep an eye out for in each of those areas:
EAT
- Overindulging at (small group) holiday meals
- Eating out of boredom or for entertainment as we continue to stay in every night
- Drinking alcohol too much or too often because “it’s the holidays!” or “anything goes during COVID!”
MOVE
- Skipping workouts in the morning because it’s too hard to get out of bed and get moving in the dark
- Skipping workouts in the evening because it’s dark (again), you’re tired and the couch is calling
- Moving dramatically less throughout the day as we’re confined to home
BREATHE
- Suffering from loneliness caused by social distancing and isolation
- Anxiety and worry driven by consuming too much of the news cycle
- Losing sleep because of stress over finances, family dynamics during the holidays, or all the uncertainty in today’s world
Seeing these issues ahead for my clients inspired me to launch a 6-week program: Wrap Up 2020 On A Healthy Note + Kickstart Your Best Year Yet. Sound like something you could use? Send me a message here or at carrie@carriepetri.com with the word “COACHING” and I’ll send you the program details!
So what’s the #1 thing you can do to keep yourself on track and avoid losing ground on your health goals between now and the end of the year?
HAVE A PLAN.
We’ve all heard the adage that “failing to plan is planning to fail” and it really is true when it comes to your health around the holidays.
Taking 15 minutes now to put some thought into where you’d like to be wellness-wise by year-end can help you set an intention, plan for predictable obstacles and set yourself up for success.
I’ve created a FREE workbook to make it easy for you to do exactly that.
This workbook will walk you through creating your own customized plan for staying healthy through the holidays, including thinking through potential obstacles and steps you can take to set yourself up for success.
Download it, set aside 15 minutes to fill it out and get going! It’s not too late to end this year on an incredibly healthy note and sail into 2021 as your optimal YOU.
You can access it here:
