Listen to the accompanying podcast episode here!

Stress, sleep, boundaries

• Plan in down time, if you have a social event, make sure to have a buffer day or half day on either side
• Learn to say no, prioritize a few holiday events that are really important to you or your family and say no to the rest. Overplanning is a great way to burn yourself out and burn out your family and kids and make it less than enjoyable. Sit down before the month of December and write out your top 3-4 priorities, maybe this is a family gathering, the Santa Claus parade, going to look at Christmas lights, or maybe it is simply to rest more. Rest is an action, not an inaction. This saying really helped me feel like rest needs to be prioritized, rest does not mean I’m being lazy, so if you can shift your thought process on rest, it can be much more productive.
• Create those boundaries with family by simply saying “We are prioritizing rest this holiday season so we won’t be able to come to that” and then sit with the feelings that come. Is it guilt? That is a familiar one for so many people pleasers out there
• Batch your gatherings together. Instead of visiting this friend group one night, this other one the next night, group them all together. Sure, they may all not be the closest of friends, but by consolidating the parties or gatherings, you can potentially bring 2-3 separate events down to 1.
• Try to get your Christmas shopping done early, by making lists, and finding the things you need before December, so in the busy month, you can just sit back and enjoy the festivities. 
• Take time to yourself, even just a moment, every day. Going back to the “rest is an action” idea, plan a bath, or a walk, or some time with friends. Check in with yourself regularly to see, “how am I feeling in this moment”? What could help me feel more relaxed, calmer, or more regulated? Box breathing is a super subtle way to take 1-2 minutes and consciously bring your nervous system from sympathetic to parasympathetic or rest and digest.
• Sleep. Don’t let this one fall to the wayside. If sleep goes and isn’t prioritized, everything else can crumble around it. When I don;t get good quality sleep, I don’t eat as well the next day, I feel more anxious, I drink more coffee, which just perpetuates the poor sleep into the next night. So set yourself up for a good night. I like to stick to the 3-2-1 rule, 3 hr before bed, no eating, 2 hrs before bed, no work, 1 hr before bed, no screens. This makes a big difference. Even if my husband and I watch a movie before bed, it takes me at least twice as long to fall asleep. So although its fun sometimes to stay up and watch a movie or show, do it during a time that you have the capacity the next day. This may not be the right time with so  much other stuff going on.
• Movement: Try to go outside everyday, it’s hard when it’s colder out, but just bundle up and go for a walk, especially when the sun is out. Getting exposure to sunlight during the day, and especially the morning can help immensely to set your circadian rhythm

Diet and supplements

Try to keep your same routines as much as possible. Eating schedule, supplements if you already take them, and exercise or movement. 

• Move away from the “all or nothing” diet culture mentality of overindulging during the holidays and then restricting in the new year with a new diet. This pattern is not helping any of us, and time we start moving away from this and into a more sustainable everyday pattern of eating.
• Keep blood sugar stable, this helps with energy, sleep, reduced cravings
• It is so easy to overindulge over the holidays with the plan to “get back on track” come January with all the new years resolutions. But doing this promotes that all or nothing mentality that I personally want to try and move away from. Instead, try for the 80/20 rule. So 80% of the time, you are eating in a way that feels good to you (eat to balance blood sugar; plenty of protein, veggies, healthy fats and minimal refined carbs), and then that other 20%  when you are at a party or on Christmas day, you can indulge in those things that you love but don;t always make you feel the best, like all that Christmas baking, and alcoholic beverages. Also, now it a good time to make a few “healthier” treats that you love to eat, and you can even bring to parties, but that you won’t feel terrible eating. 
• Link to some healthy baking recipes:
• Gluten free, chocolate chip cookies⁠
• ⁠Peanut butter cookies⁠
• ⁠Chickpea brownies⁠
• ⁠Lentil chocolate muffins⁠
• ⁠Energy balls⁠

Overall Supplement recommendation:

• Multi – good insurance
• Fish Oil – Omega 3
• Vitamin C – immunity, increase when feeling sick
• B vitamins – digestion, brain health (b6)
• Magnesium (sleep) – glycinate, take before bed
• Vitamin D
• Ashwagandha for general stress control, modulate cortisol, help with sleep

From November 27th, 2024 – December 9th, 2024 you can get all of these quality supplements at 20% off! Or if you just want to see the brands I recommend, click this link and sign in to Fullscript for free.