How To Stay Healthy During The Holidays

The secret to my mental health success during the holidays. Just show your holiday people this blog post, and you will be ready for a healthy family/friend holiday gathering. 

Bake a lot. 

Research shows that the more a person bakes, the more friends and community they cultivate. More than anything a solid community is the biggest support to your mental health. Invite a friend over to eat cake for no reason. Deliver cookies to your neighbors. Drop off goodies at your favorite businesses. 

Baking is essential to your health during the holidays. 

Eat a lot.

You will probably see a lot of articles and blogs out there telling you how to be more restrictive with your food so you don’t get fat over the holidays, this is not that blog. Truth is that most of the weight you have to lose has nothing to do with your body or eating. And eating is essential for life, and the holidays are a time for feasting! You have all 2022 to not eat, don’t reject your natural festive clock circadian rhythm. You need to imbibe, eat, feast, and savor every morsel. 

Lay around a lot.

Nobody wants to work over the holidays, and if you are one of those people who likes to work over the holidays, I’m here to tell you that the people you love don’t want you to work over the holidays, so don’t. Lay around a lot. Between bakes and during rising times, take a nap. Play with your children. Act like the future and the past don’t exist. 

Enjoy all holiday entertainment. 

What to do with all that lay around time? Watch TV. In the past few years, Netflix is killing it on the holiday movie scene. If you haven’t seen Christmas Prince (and the TWO sequels) or The Christmas Chronicles (and the sequel), you really need to come and get some holistic therapy because I know your emotional health is in jeopardy. 

Avoid serious conversations. 

Avoiding ALL serious conversations during the holidays is probably the most important thing on this list. I know that Uncle Ted just said something racist, but just stuff your face with that chocolate chip cookie instead of engaging him on finer points of The New Jim Crow. Aunt Jenny isn’t vaccinated, so just stay 6 feet away and chew with your mouth open behind your mask. 

Your mom is criticizing again. Your dad is controlling. Your brother is an attention hog. 

Bake. Eat. Lay around. And show them this blog post so they can have a more healthy holiday too. 

Do what you need to do to love yourself this holiday season. 

This is all obviously satire, however, you can read more about having healthy boundaries, thriving during the holidays, and dealing with family stress all over this blog. 

Don’t judge yourself or shame yourself if you just eat, watch tv, and do nothing the whole time. The combination of 2020 and 2021 has been heavy on the whole world, give yourself some reward and love for being where you are. And let others do the same. 

If you are struggling this holiday season with anything, or if you need an emotional boost to get through, make an appointment at Open Heart Holistic Therapy. With Emotional Polarity Technique, we’ll get to the root of the issue so you can finally enjoy the end of the year and rest and feast. 

Merry Christmas! 

I give myself permission to enjoy the season.

I forgive myself for believing I can’t feel safe and feast at the same time.

I give myself permission to do what I need to do to stay healthy this season.

I love and accept myself even when I’m afraid the holidays will be terrible.

I love and accept myself even when I’m afraid my family will ruin everything.

I give myself permission to eat for myself.

I give myself permission to lay around and be present.

I give myself permission to laugh and enjoy entertainment.

I give myself permission to feel confident and secure even when my family does something I don’t like or we disagree.

I give myself permission to let go of the anger so I can have peace during the feast.

I give myself permission to be happy and feel patient with my family.

I give myself permission to surround myself with love and healthy community whether it’s my family or not during this season.