As the festive season dawns upon us with the multitude of Christmas catch ups, family gatherings, work do’s, the odd glass of bubbly and all the other trimmings, how can we minimise the blowout on the health, fitness and well being front?
Notice I say ‘minimise’ rather than ‘avoid’ because if you can’t let your hair down at Christmas, when can you! Here are some ideas to consider so you can still be merry without negating all your hard work…
In everyday life we are bombarded with hundreds of choices, many of which we don’t even recognise as such. Especially during this festive season how can we make choices that are more likely to help us achieve what we desire most out of life?
First thing’s first, you need to have clearly articulated goals so you know without doubt what you most want to achieve. The clearer you can be on what you wish the better.
Remember also the need to have a balance between goals for the different aspects of your life – e.g. family, work, friends, health etc. It helps to give these goals differing levels of priority.
The goals which you have given the top priority should help shape your decision making – make sure your choices reflect what is most important to you… If you find that on a regular basis your choices or actions (not just your talk!) don’t really reflect what you want to achieve then maybe it’s time to reassess whether that goal is really that important to you.
The crux of this is to understand that you do have a choice! If you endeavour to take on your day with your eyes wide open and your mind focused on what you really want out of life you’ll probably be amazed by the number of choices that become available to you.
Living life on automatic pilot robs us of great opportunities to grow. It really is true that if you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got. Cultivate mindfulness about your actions and the consequences of your choices and make sure your behaviour fits in with what you wish to achieve.
In the run up to Christmas and New Year celebrations it is vital to know that you have a choice as to how much and how often you indulge. You don’t have to have a huge blow out on every occasion that you get together with friends and family to celebrate… if you do, acknowledge that this is your choice, accept it and the consequences.
It is possible to achieve a balance between enjoyment and maintaining a commitment to your health and well being goals. Find ways to compensate or plan in advance for when you know you are going to let your hair down. Means of compensation include doing some exercise, or making super healthy choices the day before or after.
Give yourself permission to take the time and space over this break to really care for yourself – this is not limited just to what we eat and drink or the amount of exercise we take, it is also your environment, the people surrounding you and how you spend your time. It can be easy for all your holiday to get swept up by social engagements and other ‘busyness’ – acknowledge if you need some space for yourself and schedule it in.
Too often we enter the New Year feeling we’ve run ourselves ragged, so just be mindful of what you need and see if you can strike a balance between activity and stillness, between obligation and your own desires.
When faced with a decision it may be useful to consider the concepts of ‘past’, ‘present’ and ‘future’ self:
Your PAST Self: when in a similar situation to the one in which you find yourself now, what choices have you made in the past and where have they got you now? Know that your current circumstance (including the physical shape you are in) is the sum total of all decisions you have ever made. For example, if you are considering whether to take a complete break from healthy eating and exercising over this Christmas period think back to what you’ve done in previous years and remember how you felt about that decision afterwards – what were the consequences and do you want to feel the same again?
Your CURRENT Self: when faced with an immediate choice consider exactly what is motivating you right now. Are you going to eat that generous helping of pudding because (a) it is a treat and you trained in the gym earlier that day specifically because you planned to indulge on this occasion – in which case, eat it, enjoy it and don’t waste time feeling guilty!, or (b) you are hungry and want satisfaction – in this case look for alternate ways to satisfy your hunger that won’t expand your waistline, or make sure you get that walk in tomorrow! or (c) you want to feel better – in this case it’s always preferable to address the cause of your discontent, but if that’s not available or appropriate, just choose to do something else that helps lift your mood that also doesn’t sabotage your health and fitness goals.
Your FUTURE Self: Consider what impact this action will have on the person you are becoming. Does the consequence fit in with who you aspire to be? Relate this back to past decisions and the results of those actions.
Keep those visions of what you want to achieve in life at the front of your mind. Give those desires top priority and approach this Christmas and New Year’s break with fresh eyes.
Know that you do have a choice and that by making better choices MOST of the time you will get much closer to becoming what you wish for.
Remember it is all about striking a balance and mindfully attending to the needs of you as a whole person – physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual.
Wishing you a safe, joyful and replenishing Christmas time!
Love to all, Suz xxx
Suzy is available for counselling and coaching sessions at her consulting room in Cammeray, Sydney and home visits by appointment.
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Contact Suzy at: suzyreading@gmail.com