FIVE EASY and HEALTHY CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY HABITS!
The festive season is upon us which often involves plenty of drinking, eating, late nights and (much needed) time off work!
With the last 18 months we have all been through we should not deny ourselves this time to have fun with friends and family, but there is certainly a case to keep some productive habits in place so that we don’t completely fall off the wagon!
Remember that the more we let go, the harder it’s going to be come January to get back into a daily routine, and back to daily healthy & mindful practices.
So here are 5 super simple habits to maintain over the Christmas holidays that will help you maintain some focus whilst still enjoying your self!
1. Eat a healthy and nutritious breakfast - We all know that a good clean diet over Christmas is not likely, but how you start your day is important!
Start your day with an indulgent breakfast and you set the tone for the rest of the day. However, start your day with good quality and nutritious food and you will be far more likely to keep going that way. It will at the very least help balance the damage of potentially eating lesser quality foods later in the day!
2. Drink enough water - Alcohol consumption certainly increases over the holidays so make it a priority to drink plenty of good quality water!
Aim for a minimum of 2 litres per day and a great way to help this habit is to drink a large glass first thing in the morning. On a side note being well hydrated can also help you overeating as hunger and thirst are often confused.
3. Try to stick to regular sleep and wake cycle - One of the toughest things about going back to work in January is getting back into your normal sleep routine. Our circadian rhythm is very important for many processes in the body and while you can loosen the reigns a little, getting into a habit of sleeping in until 9am every morning when you usually wake at 6am is counterproductive.
If you usually go to bed at 10pm and wake at 6am, then try sticking to a 11pm to 7am cycle? You are still staying close to your usual routine and going back to normal in Jan won’t feel so overwhelming!
4. Go for a daily walk - Many of you may already keep to an exercise routine over the Christmas period which is awesome. For those of you who tend to relax completely then simply make it a priority to go out for a daily walk.
Doing it earlier in the day is even better as you’ll be starting the day with a healthy practice. If you’re exhausted from the year (and we understand that) and need to recuperate then a daily walk is a great low intensity form of daily exercise.
On a final note you can take this one step further and go walk in the park or out in nature which also benefits the mind! A double whammy!
5. Write a daily journal - The end of the year is a great time to reflect and get your thoughts out on to paper, which can help you gain more clarity for the upcoming year.
You don’t have to spend hours on this, literally set a timer for 10 mins and off you go.
Don’t overthink it either you can choose to focus on things to be grateful for, focus on an area of life you wish to improve, work through an issue thats been on your mind for a while or do some goal setting for 2022.
So there we have it, 5 simple daily practices that are easy to maintain whilst you can relax and enjoy the Christmas holidays!
From the Analog team, we would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year! X
