The winter season is often filled with many exciting holiday traditions. With these festive gatherings come joy, laughter, and great memories year after year. But for some people, the holidays can be a source of extreme stress and sadness. For those that have lost a loved one, this time of year can bring with it the realization that the person they lost is no longer there to celebrate.
For other people, the hustle and bustle of hosting guests, cooking food, and keeping everyone happy can cause feelings of mental pressure. All in all: the holidays can bring about a variety of emotions. For this reason, we have compiled three chiropractic tips to keep you on track with your health goals. Don’t let the stress of the season overwhelm you!
Don’t Try to Be Perfect with Your Diet
A common problem that affects many people who attempt to lose weight is “yo-yo dieting”. Yo-yo dieting is the phenomenon of starting a diet and rigorously sticking to it, which leads to weight loss. Then, a few months after losing the weight, going off the diet, and gaining the weight back. This pattern of alternating weight loss and gain is very detrimental to overall health.
Additionally, overly restrictive diets can make a person feel like they are missing out on life and can lead to unhealthy binges at some point in the future.
Therefore, we recommend allowing yourself some small wiggle room in your diet during the holidays. If you’ve been completely avoiding sweets for the past few months, have a single treat on the holiday in question. This won’t ruin the progress you’ve made, and it will satisfy your cravings.
Sneak Some Exercise into Your Daily Routine
It can be hard to complete your normal exercise sessions, especially if you’re hosting company for the holiday. It’s perfectly acceptable to achieve some exercise in different ways than usual during this time. Short bouts of exercise can be excellent ways to keep yourself moving, even if they’ve canceled your favorite step aerobics class for the next couple of weeks.
For example, you may suggest that the family all go on a walk together. Not only will this help you stay active, you might just instill some healthy habits in your family members as well!
Alternatively, you may organize an indoor (if it’s cold in your area) game that involves some light movement. Anything that gets people up from the couch during the holidays is a good thing.
Take Time for Yourself
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the stress of the holidays, it’s ok to take a few minutes (or even a few hours) to be alone. You might need to turn off the lights and practice some deep breathing, perform some meditation, or even just take a short nap.
The gift wrapping can wait and no one will starve while you take a break. Your family will be fine without you for a short while, and you’ll be happier in the long run that you took the time to reset.
Happy Holidays!
From our At Last Chiropractic family to yours: Happy holidays!
Your chiropractor in Lithia FL hopes that you get a chance to enjoy the wonders of the holiday season amongst family and friends. But if you’re finding that the holidays seem to be more stressful than joyful for you, make sure you take some time to do things that keep you happy and healthy.
If you want to schedule a chiropractic appointment before the holidays begin (or even to reset your body and your health afterwards), book with us today.
