Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Peace Be With You






The holidays are basically here.  For most of us, even when the holidays are fun, there is a stress component.  Our routines are disrupted.  We eat different food.  We struggle to fit in workouts.  Here are a couple of coping techniques.

 

One is:  take the holiday.  When I say this, I am not authorizing anyone to eat fudge for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I am saying:  it is all right to relax and enjoy some treats.  Eat a vegetable once in a while over the week and please stay hydrated.  Take a stroll with the grandkids or all by yourself to get some space from the crush of family and friends, but don’t freak out if you work out slightly less.  Bodies and souls need rest as well as work.  The workouts will be there when you’re ready to come back to them.

 

The other is:  give yourself the gift of self-care.  Aunt Gertrude may not be thrilled that you turn down her famous pie, but she’ll live.  You may have to adapt the timing of workouts around family events, but if you really want to fit in a workout, you’ll manage, even if you show up late for the big family Monopoly-fest.  Or you can start or renew the tradition of the big afternoon football game for all ages prior to the feasting.

 

Whichever you choose, you are doing a great job.  Allowing ourselves the grace to choose a peaceful path through the holidays, whether we stroll along it slowly or do it with sprint intervals, is a great way to make life more carefree and less stressful.

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