Read this if you need some tips addressing weight management, self-care, stress, and wellness this holiday season!

Although I am that person who begins celebrating Christmas in September, getting ready for Christmas can still be stressful for me. Can you relate?

It requires energy to manage holiday photoshoots, sending out holiday cards to everyone in time, buying gifts for everyone, holiday parties, decorations…

The list goes on and on…

Yet, I also recognize that some people experience stress from Christmas because the holiday memories aren’t always “warm and fuzzy”. It’s okay if you aren’t a fan of Mariah Carey’s yearly yuletide rendition of “All I Want for Christmas”.

To be honest with you all, Christmas was not always my favorite time of the year. In fact, at one point in life, it was the worst time for me. Growing up in a dysfunctional family unit, I experienced several years in which the police had to come to my home because my mother and stepfather were fighting while he was on drugs, my mother and biological father were fighting, or someone else was fighting. In fact, one Christmas year, my sisters and I had to run away from home because of my biological father’s abusive behaviors. Thankfully, I have been able to gain access to helpful people, resources, and time to heal through these traumatic experiences.

Even if your life experiences have not been as traumatic as mine, Christmas may not be as “magical” in adulthood as you remember from your childhood (especially if you’re a parent). You may be the parent attempting to make “holiday memories” with a toddler who is in the temper tantrum phase. Or maybe, you are just struggling to get the house decorated this year between work, keeping the house clean, and attempting to sleep!

Chilllllleee…..

If you are experiencing the stress from holiday planning, weight gain, lack of time for self care, etc., you may be experiencing the Holiday Slump…

Here are some tips to help you this holiday season

Weight Gain Concerns
- Are you fed up with your weight? Don’t punish yourself this Christmas with food guilt & body shaming. Think about your health goals over the next 6 months. Instead of losing 20 lbs by January just to gain it back by March, consider if there are any things you can do to make health & wellness more sustainable for you.
- Try adding a new vegetable alongside your favorite foods this holiday season to introduce yourself to new habits. (Example: eat some carrots with your burger)
- Make smaller goals that will add up over time to BIG RESULTS. One example includes commiting to finding peace no matter what. Why? Decreased stress can help to manage your hormones and your weight.
Self-Care Ideas
- Make Christmas shopping sustainable with meaningful gifts that don’t require a lot of energy. Examples include gifting a Groupon, a meal subscription box (such as from HelloFresh), gift cards for massages, gift cards for house cleaning, gifting a gym membership, or gifting someone a stay at a hotel.
- Gift yourself one of these 😉
- Say “no” to whatever event or person is stressing you out.
- Start or restart therapy
- Spiritual wellness! (meditation, prayer, silence, journaling, reading, worship) Listen… this tip has helped me tremendously in my life
- Join my monthly coaching program to gain access to a holistic approach to healing and wellness. A holistic approach focuses on the root issues that contribute to your health status. Coaching includes access to masterclasses, an online community to connect and meet with others, live Q&A sessions with a dietitian*, and weekly accountability reminders.